Guide: puppy scams

Puppy Scams: 9 Warning Signs and What to Do If You Have Paid

Puppy scams follow a simple pattern: an appealing photo, a low price and a request for money before you have seen the dog. The Better Business Bureau has estimated that as many as 80 percent of sponsored pet ads in search results may be fraudulent. The good news is that one video call and a few quick checks expose most of them.

By Sharitee Lewis, Home Raised Puppies · Updated October 7, 2026
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Puppy scams: River, a Goldendoodle puppy from Home Raised Puppies

How puppy scams work

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) describes the usual script. A scammer posts an ad with cute photos, often offering a popular breed for a few hundred dollars. Then the seller insists on payment up front. After you pay, the puppy never arrives, because it never existed (FTC).

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) adds two details. Scammers often copy the websites and photos of real breeders, and they ask victims to send extra money to a “transport company” (BBB).

9 warning signs of puppy scams

  1. The price is far below normal. A breed that sells for thousands is offered for hundreds.
  2. No live contact. The seller avoids phone calls, video calls and visits.
  3. The photos appear elsewhere. A reverse image search finds the same puppy on other sites.
  4. Odd payment methods. The seller wants gift cards, cryptocurrency, a wire transfer or a payment app.
  5. New fees keep appearing. After the first payment come charges for a crate, insurance or a shipper.
  6. Pressure. Another buyer is supposedly about to take the puppy.
  7. No paper trail. There is no contract, no vet record and no name for the parents.
  8. A borrowed identity. The name or photos belong to a real breeder in another state.
  9. Shipping only. Pickup in person is never possible.

How to check a seller in ten minutes

  • Ask for a live video call with the puppy and its mother. This single step stops most scams.
  • Search the seller’s name with the words “scam”, “complaint” and “review”, as the FTC advises.
  • Run a reverse image search on the puppy photos.
  • Ask which vet clinic has seen the litter. Then look up the clinic yourself and call it.
  • Pay by credit card if you pay a deposit, because the FTC says it offers the most protection.

For a fuller list, see our 12 checks in how to choose a puppy breeder.

Reporting puppy scams and getting help if you have paid

Act quickly, because time matters.

  1. Contact your bank or card company straight away, and ask whether the payment can be stopped or disputed.
  2. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
  3. Report it to the BBB through its Scam Tracker, so other buyers are warned.
  4. Stop paying. Do not send any further “fees”, whatever the seller says.

According to BBB data, most people targeted by pet scams lose money, so do not be embarrassed to report it.

How a real breeder is different

A genuine breeder wants to meet you too. The FTC notes that legitimate breeders, shelters and rescues encourage an in-person or video meeting, because they want a good match.

That is how we work. Our puppies are raised in our home in Eagle Mountain, Utah, visits are by appointment, and you can call or text Sharitee at (801) 414-6659 before you pay anything. Read what our families say, and then check us the same way you would check anyone.

Related guides

See all our puppy guides, or meet our Havapoo puppies for sale and Goldendoodle puppies for sale.

Sources

  1. Federal Trade Commission. Getting a pet? Avoid scams. consumer.ftc.gov
  2. Better Business Bureau. Puppy Scams: full study. bbb.org
  3. AARP. Avoid Pet Scams and Safely Purchase Animals Online. aarp.org
  4. American Kennel Club. How to Spot a Puppy Scam Online. akc.org

Sources were checked on October 7, 2026.

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Our puppies are born and raised inside our family home in Eagle Mountain, Utah, from health-tested parents. See who is available now, or ask us a question.

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