{"id":239221,"date":"2021-04-30T12:04:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T09:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed\/"},"modified":"2021-04-30T12:04:00","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T09:04:00","slug":"how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed\/","title":{"rendered":"#\n  How to buy a pet without getting scammed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25d104b3a3b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25d104b3a3b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed\/#Fraudsters_cant_wait_to_sell_you_a_cute_puppy_or_kitten_thats_sick_or_doesnt_exist_at_all\" >Fraudsters can\u2019t wait to sell you a cute puppy or kitten that\u2019s sick or doesn\u2019t exist at all<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed\/#When_there_is_no_pet\" >When there is no pet<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed\/#When_the_pet_is_real\" >When the pet is real<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed\/#How_to_avoid_pet_scams\" >How to avoid pet scams<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-buy-a-pet-without-getting-scammed\/#Bev_OShea\" >Bev O\u2019Shea<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#<br \/>\n  How to buy a pet without getting scammed<br \/>\n<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fraudsters_cant_wait_to_sell_you_a_cute_puppy_or_kitten_thats_sick_or_doesnt_exist_at_all\"><\/span>\n  Fraudsters can\u2019t wait to sell you a cute puppy or kitten that\u2019s sick or doesn\u2019t exist at all<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div class=\"cx--next\">\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000244687\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       <em>This <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/finance\/scam-alert-pet-scams?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=983951\" class=\"icon none\"><em>article<\/em><\/a><em> is reprinted by permission from <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/blog\/?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com\" class=\"icon none\"><em>NerdWallet<\/em><\/a><em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p> Pandemic lockdowns and working from home led to a boom in people wanting to add a pet to their household. It was good for pets needing homes, but a heyday for scammers.<\/p>\n<p>There are two ways would-be pet owners get scammed, says John Goodwin, senior director of the Stop Puppy Mills campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. Either the pet simply doesn\u2019t exist, or it does but its history or health has been misrepresented.<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_there_is_no_pet\"><\/span><strong>When there is no pet<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p> Many of us shop online for pets as we did for almost everything else during the pandemic. That\u2019s a mistake, Goodwin says, and data backs him up:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"articleList\">\n<li>\n      The Better Business Bureau\u2019s Scam Tracker saw U.S. and Canada puppy scam complaints hit 337 in November 2020, more than quadruple the number for November 2019.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      The BBB projected 2020 dollar loss from these scams to top $3 million, more than six times the total losses reported in 2017.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      Though dog and puppy scams are by far the most common, fraudsters also offer to sell and ship cats and kittens, exotic birds and horses.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bogus listings may be on Craigslist, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a>, websites or sponsored links on internet searches. Fraudsters copy legitimate websites to fool victims.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also see: <\/strong>Some pet owners are spending more than $2,000 a year on their dogs<\/p>\n<p>Derek Huntington of Capital Pet Movers in Woodbine, Maryland, said he learned of a scam when someone called him to ask when their puppy would arrive. His business website, including his phone number, had been copied. He says victims are not only asked for the purchase price, they often are later asked to pay for a special crate for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> and fees for vaccines, boarding or delivery. When victims stop paying or delivery is scheduled \u2014 sometimes complete with fake tracking information \u2014 communication stops.<\/p>\n<p>Payments are typically made with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/finance\/can-you-really-trust-your-payment-app?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_content=983951&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com\" class=\"icon none\">payment apps<\/a>\u00a0or prepaid debit cards, which can be difficult or impossible to get refunded. Though the criminals don\u2019t typically take credit cards, their sites may say they do. When a victim fills in credit card information, the transaction fails and the victim is directed to pay with a different method. But the fraudster now has data that can be used for\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/finance\/how-to-prevent-identity-theft?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_content=983951&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com\" class=\"icon none\">identity theft<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Humane Society\u2019s advice for avoiding internet pet scams is simple: Don\u2019t buy a pet online.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_the_pet_is_real\"><\/span><strong>When the pet is real<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Even shopping in person may not be enough to avoid problems. Chelsea Amengual of New York City got a real puppy, but her French bulldog, Dijon, came with kennel cough, a persistent case of giardia \u2014 which is transmissible to humans \u2014 and some behavioral problems from living in a crate or display case all her life.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<p>Amengual had done her research, even stopping people to pepper them with questions about their French bulldogs. She occasionally went into pet stores, telling herself it was to get to know the breed. One puppy captivated her as it snoozed in her lap, but it cost $5,000 and Amengual was reluctant to buy from a store. She walked away. A month later, the puppy was still there, reduced to $2,500. Amengual couldn\u2019t bear to leave her there again.<\/p>\n<p>Amengual was assured the puppy came from a reputable breeder and given a packet of information, including an American Kennel Club registration number that would turn out to be bogus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>See:<\/strong> Animal rescues see a spike in the pandemic<\/p>\n<p>With help from the Humane Society, she traced her dog\u2019s origins to a puppy mill in Missouri. Mills are high-volume breeding operations that prioritize profits over pets\u2019 well-being.<\/p>\n<p>Pets for sale may have also been stolen. Or the puppy a victim \u201cordered\u201d could be replaced with a different one or it could be ill, warns the American Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_avoid_pet_scams\"><\/span><strong>How to avoid pet scams<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Here\u2019s how Huntington and Goodwin recommend that people find pets:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"articleList\">\n<li>\n      Adopt from a shelter. \u201cMost of the time, when a dog is taken to a shelter, it\u2019s not a behavior issue,\u201d Goodwin says.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      Meet the pet, and consider an adult. \u201cWith an adult dog, it\u2019s easier to see personality,\u201d Goodwin says. Puppies and kittens are harder to judge.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you want a purebred pet, shelters still may be an option:\u00a01 in 4 available pets is a purebred, according to the Humane Society. Other tips include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"articleList\">\n<li>\n      Contact rescue groups for the breed you want. They may have a pet for you or be able to recommend a breeder.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      Know typical prices and avoid deeply discounted or \u201cfree\u201d pets, which can suggest fraud or a puppy mill.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      Visit the breeder. Ask to meet the mother and see her living quarters.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      Expect the breeder to ask you questions. Reputable breeders want to know that the pets they sell will be treated well and that new owners know what to expect.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Amengual hopes to add another dog to her household. This time, she plans to rescue.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:<\/strong> 6 reasons seniors should consider getting a pet<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From NerdWallet<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"articleList\">\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/finance\/scam-alert-find-a-covid-vaccine-but-avoid-criminals?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=983951\" class=\"icon none\">Scam Alert: Find a COVID Vaccine, but Avoid Criminals<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/taxes\/avoid-irs-scams?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=983951\" class=\"icon none\">Latest IRS Scams: How to Spot Them and Fight Back<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/blog\/insurance\/understanding-pet-insurance\/?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=983951\" class=\"icon none\">Understanding Pet Insurance: 10 Things to Know Before You Buy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Bev O\u2019Shea writes for NerdWallet. Email: boshea@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @BeverlyOShea.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>      <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Bev O\u2019Shea\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bev_OShea\"><\/span>Bev O\u2019Shea<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B21005575-02D4-D4B5-4572-D3BBCF034A0D%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;# How to buy a pet without getting scammed &#8221; Fraudsters can\u2019t wait to sell you a cute puppy or kitten that\u2019s sick or doesn\u2019t exist at all This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.\u00a0 Pandemic lockdowns and working from home led to a boom in people wanting to add a pet to their&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":239222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}