Buying & selling online
Puppy Scams: How to Spot a Fake Seller Before You Pay
Puppy scams explained: fake breeder sites, stolen photos and endless shipping fees. How to spot a puppy scammer, pay safely and report one if you were hit.
Most puppy scams follow one script: a cute purebred puppy at a low price, a seller who can't meet in person, and a request to pay up front for the puppy or for shipping. You protect yourself by seeing the puppy in person, or at least on a live video call, before any money changes hands, and by never paying with a payment app, gift card or wire transfer.
A new puppy is an emotional purchase, and scammers count on that. Once you've picked a name, a $250 crate fee doesn't feel like a reason to walk away. We build KatiTrust, a camera app for photos and videos that others can check, so we pay close attention to what a listing photo can and can't prove.
Below you'll find how these scams work, the red flags that give a fake seller away, how to buy a puppy safely and where to report a scammer. For the tricks that show up across every kind of listing, see our guide to Facebook Marketplace scams.
How puppy scams work
Puppy scams usually start with a website or an ad, not a real breeder. The seller shows plenty of photos, has a story about why you can't visit, and promises to ship the puppy once you pay. After the first payment come more fees for shipping, vaccines or insurance. The puppy never arrives, because it never existed or belongs to someone else.
According to the BBB's 2025 puppy scam study, BBB Scam Tracker received 2,278 pet scam reports in 2024, with a median loss of $680. Through September 2025, there were 1,632 reports with a median loss of $600. The BBB also found that over 50% of pet scams start on a website found through a search engine or social media.
The FTC describes the same pattern in its consumer alert Getting a pet? Avoid scams. Scammers post ads for purebred puppies at a few hundred dollars, far below what the breed usually costs, and push you to act fast. They want payment before you see the animal, and that animal may not exist at all.
The fake breeder website and the endless shipping fees
The most convincing version is a full breeder website. It has a farm-style name, a gallery of litters, testimonials and an application form. The BBB found that scammers clone real breeder sites, buy search ads to rank above them and add fake reviews on social media. Some even run a fake screening process, asking about your yard and your work hours, so you feel vetted.
Then the money part starts. You pay the deposit, often through Zelle, Venmo or Cash App. A few days later, a "pet delivery agency" emails you. The puppy needs a climate-controlled crate, airline fees, insurance or a vaccine before it can travel. If you hesitate, the puppy is suddenly sick or stuck somewhere and needs one more payment.
Every one of those fees is part of the scam. The BBB lists climate-controlled crates, airline fees and claims that a puppy is sick or stuck as typical extra charges. A real breeder quotes the full price up front. If you're asked for a second payment you didn't expect, stop paying and treat everything you've sent as lost until your bank says otherwise.
How to spot a puppy scammer: 8 red flags
One red flag doesn't prove a scam, but puppy scammers tend to show several at once. Be careful if a seller:
- Prices far below market: A popular breed costs a few hundred dollars, or is "free to a good home" with paid shipping.
- Won't let you visit: They moved, they're traveling, or the puppy is "already with the shipper."
- Refuses a live video call: You get plenty of photos, but never a call with the puppy and the seller together.
- Ships anywhere: They promise to deliver the puppy across the country by air.
- Wants app, gift card or wire payment: Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, gift cards, crypto or a wire transfer.
- Adds new fees: Crates, insurance, vaccines or "refundable" deposits after the first payment.
- Rushes you: Other families are supposedly waiting, so you need to pay today.
- Uses photos found elsewhere: The same puppy appears on other sites with a different name or price.
The last point is the easiest to check. A reverse image search shows whether the puppy photos appear on other breeder sites or in older ads. The BBB recommends exactly this: if the same picture shows up on several websites, it's likely a fraud. Search for a distinctive sentence from the ad or a testimonial, too, because scammers copy text as often as pictures.
How to buy a puppy safely
Buying a puppy online is safest when you use the ad only to find the breeder and do everything else in person. The BBB's pet scam tips put it simply: don't buy a pet without seeing it in person, and if that isn't possible, ask for a live video call to see the animal, meet the breeder and look at the facility.
- Check the seller: Search the breeder's name and website with words like "scam" or "complaint," as the FTC suggests.
- Run a reverse image search: Do this before you get attached to a puppy.
- Video call first: Ask to see the puppy, its mother and the place they live on a live call.
- Visit in person: Meet the puppy with its mother and littermates at the breeder's home.
- Get the paperwork: Ask for vet records, vaccinations, the microchip number and a written contract.
- Pay at pickup: Pay when you take the puppy home, ideally by credit card.
- See your vet: Book a checkup in the first days and have the microchip scanned.
Payment is where most puppy scams end or succeed. The FTC warns that only scammers say you must pay with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer, because that money is hard to get back. A credit card gives you the option to dispute the charge. Our comparison of the safest ways to pay on Facebook Marketplace explains why, and why PayPal Friends and Family is a bad fit for buying from strangers.
Tip: Check your local shelter or rescue too. The FTC points out that they usually charge only a small adoption fee.
Puppy photos and videos: what they prove and what they don't
Photos in a puppy ad prove almost nothing. They can be copied from a real breeder, months old or made with AI, and fake breeder sites look just as polished as real ones. Our guide on how to tell if a website is legit helps with the site itself. A fresh video of the puppy with its mother tells you much more, and the BBB says to walk away if a seller refuses a video call.
That's where KatiTrust fits in. The seller records the video directly in our app, since files from the camera roll can't be uploaded there, and sends you the verification code each capture gets. Anyone can use the code to check it for free in the browser without an account. It shows that the file hasn't changed since capture, when it was taken and roughly where, to about 10 km. The capture app is on Google Play for Android, and the iPhone version is coming soon.
A verification code has limits, though. It doesn't show who owns the puppy, how old or healthy it is, or whether the seller will hand it over. It doesn't replace the visit, the vet records or the contract. The BBB also warns that video can be manipulated, so a live call or a visit still matters, and even a perfect video is no reason to pay up front.
How to report a puppy scammer and what to do if you paid
If you already sent money, don't pay any further fees, no matter what the "shipping agent" threatens. Call your bank, card issuer or payment app right away and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. Then save everything: the ad, the website address, emails, texts, photos of the puppy and your payment receipts.
To report a puppy scammer, use the official channels. File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and with BBB Scam Tracker. The BBB also suggests reporting fake pet websites to PetScams.com, a site that tracks fake breeder and pet delivery websites. If the ad ran on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, flag it there, too.
Reporting matters even if your money is gone. The BBB study cites research based on FTC data that found only 4.8% of mass market fraud victims report to the BBB or a government agency. Each report helps take a fake site down sooner. For the steps after a marketplace scam in general, see what to do if you got scammed on Facebook Marketplace.
Frequently asked questions about puppy scams
How do puppy scams work?
A scammer posts an ad or builds a breeder website with stolen photos of a puppy. They ask for a deposit or the full price, then invent fees for shipping, crates, insurance or vaccines. The puppy never arrives because it doesn't exist or isn't theirs. Once you refuse to pay more, the scammer stops answering.
How can I tell if a puppy seller is legit?
A legit seller lets you visit the puppy with its mother, does a live video call when asked, gives you vet records and a written contract and lets you pay at pickup. They can answer detailed questions about the litter. A reverse image search of their photos should only lead back to their own site.
Is it normal to pay a deposit for a puppy?
Some reputable breeders take a deposit to hold a puppy, but only after you've talked with them, ideally visited and received a written agreement. Paying a deposit to a seller you've never seen, through Zelle, Venmo or a gift card, is the classic setup for puppy scams. A credit card gives you more protection.
Can a puppy be shipped safely?
Some breeders do ship puppies, but shipping is also the core of most pet scams. Puppy scammers invent "pet delivery agencies" that demand fees for crates, insurance or airline paperwork. If you can't visit, at least do a live video call, check the breeder's reputation and never pay surprise fees to a shipper.
How do I report a puppy scammer?
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to BBB Scam Tracker. You can also report the fake website to PetScams.com and flag the ad on the platform where you found it. If you paid, contact your bank or payment app first, then file the reports with your screenshots and receipts.
Are puppy scams common on Facebook Marketplace?
Yes, ads and posts on Facebook and other social platforms are a common starting point, and the BBB says over half of pet scams start on a website found through search engines or social media. The same rules apply everywhere: see the puppy, avoid payment apps for strangers and never pay shipping fees up front.
Bottom line: see the puppy before you pay
Puppy scams work because the photos are adorable and the price feels like luck. Most of them fall apart with one simple rule: you see the puppy with its mother, in person or at least on a live video call, before you send any money.
Pay at pickup, ideally by credit card, and walk away from anyone who asks for app payments, gift cards or surprise shipping fees. If you've already paid, call your bank right away and report the seller to the FTC and the BBB.
About the author
Co-founder & Marketing at KatiTrust
Yannick is a co-founder of KatiTrust and leads marketing and content. He holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in business and has worked in content marketing and SEO for years.
