Milwaukee, Wis. – French bulldogs, dachshunds, German shepherds: These breeds are some of the most popular lures that scammers use to bring in unsuspecting targets. And it can be hard to tell the difference between real advertisements and fake ones.
Reports to BBB show thousands of fake websites and social media pages for pet scams, including many where scammers have stolen a legitimate business’ identity to fool potential buyers. Median losses top several hundred dollars, with fraudsters lying to empathetic buyers about animals being hurt if they don’t hand over more money.
In Found the perfect French bulldog online! BBB says it may not exist BBB examines patterns of reports, reviews the amount of money lost and shares stories from those caught up in the scams so consumers can avoid them.
Key findings:
- Scam Tracker reports for pet scams have decreased over the last two years, but remain an issue
- Scammers come from all over the world, mainly targeting US citizens
- Businesses can protect themselves against most of these scams with proper training and education
- Fraudulent websites can appear at the top of search results, confusing buyers
Pet scam reports across North America:
| BBB Scam TrackerSM online pet scams scams by year | ||
| Year | Reports | Median loss |
| 2022 | 680 | $750 |
| 2023 | 2,899 | $700 |
| 2024 | 2,278 | $680 |
| 2025 (thru Sept.) | 1,632 | $600 |
Scam survivor stories:
Donna in Alabama, said she attempted to buy a shih tzu online. She was moved between several people who claimed to be breeders. Over several days, she sent around $7,000 for various fees, including kennels, shipping, and vaccinations, all of which the person said would be refunded upon delivery. At one point, she began asking for her refund, only to be told she needed to pay another fee. That was when she realized it was a scam.
Jonathan in Tennessee wanted a bull terrier, and he thought he found a great breeder after searching online. The $700 price tag was a bit lower than he expected, but with the shipping and vaccination fees, he felt the price was close to right. However, when the dog had supposedly landed at his airport, the shipper said there were thousands more in fees. In the end, he lost about $4,000 before cutting off contact.
Red flags of a pet scam include:
- Popular breeds are available for incredibly low prices.
- The seller refuses to meet in person or take a video call.
- Extra charges for cages, vaccinations and other shipping costs.
- The word “teacup” is used in an advertisement.
- High-pressure tactics are meant to make the buyer think the animal will be harmed.
BBB has tips to avoid pet scams
- See pets in person. Most scams are not sophisticated enough to fake out an in-person meeting. Video calls can also be a strong deterrent against fraud in nearly all cases.
- Use reverse image search. Many scam websites are impersonations of real businesses. Search the photos used online or sent to you to see if they appear anywhere else online.
- Understand market prices. Many pet scams offer animals at deep discounts. Knowing what an animal should cost can help raise alarm bells if a price is suspiciously low.
- Check out your local shelter. Many buyers have no preference for breeds. If not, an in-person visit to a local shelter can be a surefire way to avoid scams.
Visit BBB.org to check out a business or register a complaint, BBB Scam TrackerSM to report a scam and BBB.org/scamstudies for more on this and other scams.
For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT BBB: The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for more than 110 years. In 2024, people turned to BBB.org more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.5 million businesses, and 725,000 times for BBB charity reports on 12,000 local and national charities. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States and Canada.
