BOSTON — As the holiday season approaches and shoppers begin to look for the perfect gifts, Boston Police Department has issued a community alert warning about an increase in puppy scams.
Fraudsters are expected to capitalize on the high demand for pets as adding a puppy to the family is a popular choice during the festive season.
The Better Business Bureau reports that up to 80% of sponsored pet advertisements on the internet could be fraudulent.
To avoid becoming a victim of these scams, the BPD advises potential pet owners to conduct a reverse image search of the pet photos to check for other ads.
They should also research the going prices for the desired breed to avoid overpaying and insist on seeing the pet in person before making any purchase.
Consumers are cautioned against using wire transfers, cash apps, or gift cards for transactions, as these methods are favored by scammers and make it difficult to recover lost funds.
Victims of holiday scams, including those related to puppy fraud, are encouraged to report incidents to local police departments, the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/, and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov/.
Additionally, if personal information such as a Social Security number has been compromised, steps can be taken to safeguard one’s identity by visiting https://www.identitytheft.gov/, which provides resources on how to monitor credit and protect against identity theft.
