National Puppy Day is on Mar. 23 and consumers can expect a nearly constant stream of cute puppy pictures across most social media platforms celebrating everyone’s furry best friends. After seeing these pictures, some consumers may decide that the time is right for a (or another) dog of their own and will begin the process of searching for and purchasing a canine companion. However, exercising caution when shopping online for the perfect pet is important.
Pet scams continue to take a heavy toll on consumers across the nation and Texas. According to BBB’s 2021 Scam Tracker Risk Report, pets were the most common type of purchase used to perpetrate online purchase scams, and current data shows little indication 2022 will be much different. In Texas, more than $25,000 has been lost to pet scams so far in 2022, which accounts for half (50.1%) of all monetary losses to online purchases. Of those who reported a loss of money due to a pet scam, the median amount lost is a staggering $1,363.
“Even though puppies are the most common type of animal used in a pet scam, BBB also receives reports of fraudulent sellers advertising the sale of kittens, reptiles and birds that are never received,” said Heather Massey, vice president of communications for Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas. “In most cases, consumers do not recognize they are interacting with a scammer until they start arranging for the transportation of the animal after purchase.”
In February, one…
