Cape Breton Post

Puppy scams spike in 2020

- JANE STEVENSON POSTMEDIA NEWS

Who doesn’t feel like cozying up to a puppy while at home more during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Turns out a lot of Canadians did, which has not only lead to a dramatic demand for fur babies but also a “COVIDbump” in pet scams, according to a Better Business Bureau (BBB) report.

Would-be pet owners are paying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for animals that don’t even exist and, in most cases, their money can never be returned.

“Fraudsters are taking an opportunit­y and turning it into something they can leverage and really scam people out of a lot of money,” said Monica Braz, the BBB’s communicat­ions coordinato­r for Central Ontario.

According to the latest BBB report, between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 there were 3,969 reports of puppy scams in North America costing $2,843,552. That’s compared to just 1,870 reports costing $1,016,380 for all of 2019.

And the 2020 numbers are projected to rise to as high as 4,300 puppy scam reports, costing $3,100,000.

Of those 2020 numbers, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 17, there were 111 scam reports in Canada costing $106,016.94, including 48 in Toronto costing $37,426.59. In comparison, in all of 2019, there were 30 scam reports in Canada costing a total of $19,106.71, including eight in Toronto costing $6,590.

“The sad thing too is the median loss,” said Braz.

People are losing about $750 on average.

“And these aren’t people that are maybe younger that don’t have experience purchasing online, or older. It’s really the ages between 35-55 that account for half of all of these reports in 2020,” she said.

“So, it’s people who are savvy and shop online a lot but are still being scammed ‘cause the techniques that they are using are constantly changing. So, people aren’t necessaril­y going through all the details because they want a dog, and there are so few out there, and so they’re just reacting when they see an opportunit­y.”

The BBB advises using “extreme caution” when shopping for a pet online, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic has given fraudsters the ability to tell potential pet owners they can’t meet in person with the animal before money is sent.

“The reality is that most of these scams are just photos that are being stolen from other websites and so they’re not legitimate puppy owners that are actually doing this,” said Braz.

“And so, people are getting scammed because they are just finding photos and then e-transferri­ng the money. And once you e-transfer the money, you can’t really get it back.”

The BBB recommends the following to avoid getting scammed:

• Use video conferenci­ng so that you can meet virtually before any cash exchanges hands. “Use technology that we have available to us that we’ve used through the pandemic,” said Braz. “So Zoom, skype, whatever it is, and ask to have a video conference with the puppy and the puppy owner and that way you can see them in person, you can talk to them, and you can actually see the seller and make sure that the dog exists.”

• Do a Google reverse image search. “And that allows you to be able to see where that image was used anywhere else on the internet,” said Braz. “And so, you’ll be able to find if it’s something that’s being repeated and shared on several different sites and so you can identify if it’s a scam.”

• Do your research. “Sometimes people are panicking because they think they found a really good deal online,” said Braz. “And they’re like, ‘Oh, my word! Most dogs are going for $1,600 or $2,000 and I found one for $800!’ If the price is unreasonab­ly low its probably because it is a fraudulent offer. So, if you want to look at something that’s a little bit more affordable then what we suggest is go to animal shelters and see if you can get a puppy that way.”

 ?? 123RF STOCK IMAGE ?? According to a report issued by the Better Business Bureau, puppy scams rose dramatical­ly in Canada during the pandemic.
123RF STOCK IMAGE According to a report issued by the Better Business Bureau, puppy scams rose dramatical­ly in Canada during the pandemic.

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