09/04/2020
This is great information!! It’s so sad that people are out there taking advantage of buyers. I myself have dealt with numerous individuals who have been scammed in the past and unfortunately it takes a lot of convincing that we are not going to scam them too, but we get it. People are creeps! The old saying is true - one bad apple......
We hate to see someone lose out on finding their dream puppy and new best friend because a scammer ruined it for them, so here’s a great article about how to spot a scammer before sending them your hard earned money.
SCAMMER RED FLAGS
Since many have been commenting on the proliferation of scammers, here is some good advice i picked up from another breeder online.
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WHO ARE THEY?
Before you message them, look at their profile!
__Do they have a profile pic and background pic and nothing else? If it is a page, was it created recently?
__Do they have some smattering of dogs and pups throughout their timeline history? Do they have a dog page, with history?
__Look at their "About" section. In the "Like" section, is there anything related to the breed? Most breeders will have many.
__Can they discuss their dogs and breeding program? Most breeders are more than willing to do so.
__Ask for their veterinarian’s information. They should have one as the pups should have at least a litter check done.
__Can they provide references?
COMMUNICATION
__Do they want to only PM about the sale? Facebook strictly forbids sale of animals; that would include discussing price and availability via PM. PMs after the sale should not be a problem.
__They message you in broken English. Many scammers are from overseas.
__They ask you were you live right away. They are doing this, taking a quick look at a map and miraculously they are within an hour of you. Some idea of their location should be listed in their profile, not that it may be legitimate.
__They have "Callers" (remember the little boy in old movies holding up the newspaper yelling "Extra, Extra, Read all about it!") This is the scammer pretending to be someone else promoting the breeder. Check out both the Caller profile and the breeder profile and the information will be minimal, like I mentioned in item number 1.
PHOTOS & PRICE
__They have exactly what you are looking for!
__The pup is too cheap. You are not going to get an AKC dapple female for $600.
__ Photos of different pups, including those in the "same" litter, have drastically different background, or the pups don't resemble each other. They are stealing photos from others!
__There are no photos of litter mates. They cannot produce photos of the litter as a group.
__They cannot produce photos of the parents, or the parents don't match up with the pup.
__They include transportation in the price and insist on transport, even if within driving distance. Breeders who use a transport service normally have you pay the person who does the transport.
__They require a substantial deposit, paid immediately. Most breeders require a relatively small deposit, usually a hundred dollars or two.
__Ask to video chat with them and the puppy.
THE SIMPLEST THING TO DO....
Ask the person to take a picture of the litter of puppies with a note with your name and that day’s date. They won't be able to do it because they don't have the puppies and they will stop messaging you. If they are a legit breeder they should be willing to do this for you.
- by Amber Lundeen-Kivairu / edited by Benjamin Lodebar