At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people sought companionship during quarantine, which opened the floodgates for puppy-related scams.
Honest Paws, a company that creates CBD products for pets, found that between April and September, over 2,400 complaints were filed with the BBB in relation to puppy scams.
“That’s an increase of over 280% from the same time period in 2019, when only 627 complaints were filed,” according to Honest Paws. These types of scams are projected to increase a staggering 129% compared to last year overall, according to the Better Business Bureau.
And with the increased interest in finding a pet, scammers have taken advantage of social distancing protocols — often not allowing some buyers to see the animal before purchase.
“This has led to thousands of Americans paying to adopt a puppy sight unseen—often to the tune of thousands of dollars. Scammers have additionally conned their victims by demanding payment for climate-controlled crates for puppies needing to be shipped to their new home, fraudulent transportation services, and non-existent, corona-related vaccinations,“ according to Honest Paws.
