Ask the Vet: Buying Internet Puppies

I would never recommend buying a puppy online just based on photos that the purported puppy breeder has posted online or emailed to you. Getting a dog is for life (and that could mean up to 20 years for some breeds) and it's not a decision that you should get into lightly or buy sight unseen. Read about what makes a good dog breeder. Due to the fact that a lot of these scammers are from overseas, there's no real way for victims of their ploy to get compensation or take up any legal action. And we're not talking a small amount here, some have reported to losing $2000 in these scams.

• The Nigerian pet scam:  Anything with Nigeria in it in the internet world has a bad connotation to it. So many scams are generated from so called 'Nigerian' sources that it's something that should start alarm bells ringing just with the word. Fraudsters put up ads for purebred puppies at a discounted price - these puppies are usually ones that would fetch quite a bit in the normal dog market (eg breeds like English bulldogs, teacup Chihuahuas).
  
  There's usually some sad story attached to the puppies which explains why they are being sold at a discount eg puppies were rescued from a storm ravaged area and just need good homes. The fraudster will then ask you to pay a deposit which would cover the shipment of the puppy, vaccinations, etc - money is usually asked Animal Den - Gift Shop for Animal Lovers! to be wired across. Some will even come back to ask you for more and more money as they 'make up' the costs that would ensure you get the puppy. Unfortunately in most of these cases, no puppy ever arrives.
   
• The overpayment scam: This is a scam that targets legitimate breeders or people selling puppies over the internet. For example, if you have puppies for sale over the internet, the fraudster will then contact you and make the necessary negotiations to settle on a price. Then what happens is that this person will then send you a cashier's check for payment for the puppy.
  
  However, when you receive the check, you will notice that it's a sum larger than the original agreed price so as a good Samaritan you contact the purchaser to let them know and they will then request for you to return the overpayment (via a wire transfer) so that they can send you the correct amount. You will then later find out that the original check overpayment was fraudulent and if by chance you sent the puppy out to them in good faith, that's the last you'll ever see of the poor thing.
   
• Buying a puppy that is sick or dying or a puppy that is not initially agreed upon:  Fraudsters have taken the demand for designer breeds (eg Cockapoo, Labradoodles) and turned it into a scam. How it usually works is that you see an online ad for a puppy of a breed that you want and you contact the fraudster about it, negotiate the price etc. It's common for fraudsters to send you pictures of the puppy you bought via email or snail mail. After you've paid for the puppy, you receive shipment of a puppy - the puppy is usually either sickly or bears no resemblance to the pictures sent. And being the kind-hearted soul that you are, you aren't going to send it back, it's probably had a hard enough life as it is. Some of these puppies are from puppy mills which are factory like places that churn out puppies and keep breeding dogs and their puppies in crowded filthy conditions.
   
• Note that just because they say that the puppies are AKC-registered doesn't mean that they are. If this is their claim, then check with the AKC and do some research on the seller. Check the Better Business Bureau and Internet Crime Complaint Center for any previous complaints. Stay safe.  (source)