Preventing and Detecting Fraud on Puppy Web Sites
Driven by greed, scammers have begun stealing pictures from legitimate breeders. Using these pictures, scammers set up accounts on web sites that sell a large number of puppies from a very large number of breeders. Often the pictures are stolen from Puppyfind.com, TerrificPets.com, NextDayPets.com, and other large puppy web sites. Fraud and scams are growing at an alarming rate because many buyers are unaware of the simple yet effective steps that can be taken to verify the puppy is healthy and comes from a reputable, USDA Licensed breeder.
To prevent fraud or scams from happening to you, there are some simple, yet important steps to follow before purchasing a puppy.
First, check to make sure the Seller/Breeder is who they say they are. Call them and speak with them on the phone. Make sure that their address is in the US, not a foreign country. If you can only reach them via email, do not continue the sale.
Second, make sure the seller/breeder has more than one picture of the puppy. If there is only one picture available, ask for more pictures. Specify that an object (such as a Coke can) or a piece of paper with your name on it is visible in the picture so that you know it was taken recently for you. If the seller/breeder refuses to send new pictures, no matter what excuse they give you, discontinue the sale. If the seller/breeder can offer additional pictures or specific information about the breeder and the puppy, you're probably dealing with a reputable, USDA Licensed Breeder. We will send you additional pictures after speaking to you. We don't want to send additional pictures to anyone that requests them.
Third, Ask for the breeder's USDA License number. You can verify this information with the USDA by emailing or calling them. The contact information for each region (there are 2 regions inside the US) is located here:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/acorg.html. Please disable your Pop-up Blocker to use this link.
Fourth, Remember that you get what you pay for. If a puppy is listed at prices far below what reputable breeders are asking, or if the puppies are priced very low and include free shipping, you are looking at a scam. Use all of the above steps to find out if the puppy is coming from a reputable and USDA Licensed breeder.
Some breeders do not need to be registered. Hobby breeders, most often raising only several litters a year in their own home, aren't large enough to need registration. It's best that you pick up your puppy in person if you cannot get verification from the USDA that the breeder is reputable