BALTIMORE — It's a popular time to welcome a new pet to the family, but if you're looking to buy one online, you need to watch out for scammers.
Tina Koeppen lost hundreds of dollars while searching for a pet after she lost her beloved Yorkie, Myia.
“I suffer from extreme anxiety, and it can get so bad that it throws me into seizures. And my last Yorkie would know, she would sense when I was going to have one, and she would back me up to a chair,” said Koeppen.
Myia passed away at 15 years old. While grieving, Koeppen thought a new puppy would help her heal and came across a breeder online called Richard's Teacup Yorkies.
“They wanted me to get a gift card, and I told them I'd have to make two payments because I didn't have it all at once,” she said.
Koeppen sent $500 then she got another call.
“Well, I needed to send another $250 to the airport, so I ended up calling the airport and they told me they didn't ship live animals,” said Koeppen.
Angie Barnett, president and CEO with the Better Business Bureau of greater Maryland, said this is the second scam.
“And think about it, during the holidays when we have this visual image of an animal in a crate on an airplane tarp and it's cold that's what comes to mind. So, the emotion, sense of urgency, needing to act now, and individuals will turn around and give more money to the scammer. They hit us twice,” Barnett explained.
And these pet scammers try to take it a step further.
“Now it's health issues. So that compounds that your pet can't leave one state to the other because a health issue, a veterinarian needs to come in immediately,” said Barnett.
And potential owners comply after developing a bond from the photos that are typically stolen from other websites.
“He kept contacting me telling me that the poor puppy is sitting there with no food or anything at the airport, playing on my sympathy,” Koeppen recalled.
Unfortunately, she never got her money back, but she did adopt two puppies from her area. The best way to avoid these scams is by visiting your local shelter. Pet owners can also search for a reputable breeder through the American Kennel Club.
Pet scammers typically request payment via gift card, cryptocurrency, or a peer-to-peer payment app because there's little to no recourse.
For additional pet scam warnings and tips, click here.