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HOW TO AVOID  INTERNET PUPPY SCAMS
Share this with friends, co workers, family, etc -
​ anyone you care about who is searching for  for their next best friend, so they do not get ripped off:
There are hundreds of puppy scams on Craigslist
and  other social media.
In fact, MOST puppy sales on the internet are scams!
New York and California recently passed laws that made it a requirement that only breeders or "rescues" sell puppies.  Pet stores were never the best places for very young animals, as to have puppies young enough to be adorable and puppyish, the pups could have been removed from their mother quite early, and there was no way to know where the pups were born and in what conditions.
But now while it is wonderful to rescue animals from bad situations, one can do this by simply visiting the nearest animal shelter. Some so called "Rescue organizations" have cropped up.
that are for profit businesses, buying puppies at auction from unscrupulous breeders. Do your homework on any rescue organization before committing, and don't send a deposit to a rescue, without careful scrutiny and references first.
If you need a hypoallergenic puppy, do an allergy test with the exact animal you are interested in  before paying any money:
There are many, many Doodles in shelters now, as people give them up realizing that their coats need constant care, but these dogs, although they may have hair and not fur, are not always as hypoallergenic as a pure bred Poodle.
If you or someone you know is seeking a puppy from an online ad, read on. We have investigated Craigslist and internet puppy sites and found some of the many pit falls.
Obviously, the best way to be assured you are getting a healthy puppy
and not supporting the unethical treatment of animals, is to get a referral from someone
whose dog you like that doesn't trigger allergies.
Local vets often have the scoop on local ethical breeders.
Try these tips BEFORE sending a deposit:
Look carefully at the email address and
Hover over and then copy the seller's complete email address, paste it into google. Sometimes this  search will reveal links or comments that others in your situation posted to warn that the 'seller' is a scam. Other times it will show up in a foreign country. If the email seems ok, ask to see photos of BOTH parents, and ask where the puppy was born. Ask how long they've been breeding and if they will allow you to speak with their vet.  It's ok for a legit breeder not to have a track record  - everyone starts somewhere - but you will need your own contract if they are new .
Be AWARE and don't fall for a sob story!
Scammers do not want to meet you,  but good breeders!  Scammers try to divert your interest in meeting them and the parent dogs with long winded sob stories.
Scammers spin sad stories about why they suddenly need to move and need to have a third party deliver your puppy, why they need to rehome their puppy, etc. Beware of long stories with awkward punctuation as signs of a potential international fraud. 

If you are sure the puppy actually exists and you are convinced that the deposit is the right thing to do, talk to your bank about how to reverse a check.
Most banks have a ten day policy in which you can reverse a payment, so make sure that the date of delivery is less than ten days from the date of the check. This is still somewhat risky, as they could cash the check and be gone, but it is something of a defense. Instead, if possible ask to meet in person and give them the deposit in the form of a paper check or USPS money order and DO NOT PAY THE DEPOSIT BIT COIN.
Seriously, if they ask for bit coin or its like it is a scam.
Puppy mills will insist on meeting in a public location
They will try to convince you that they are 'only trying to protect themselves' by only agreeing to meet you in some random parking. 
They either just bought the litter from a puppy mill or broker and want you to believe they have the parents, or they don't want you to see the deplorable conditions and unhealthy animals at their place.
Good breeders are proud  and like to show off the environs where their dogs live.  
What if they are selling a puppy and are not local?
If you cannot visit REQUEST:
1) FaceTime  with them and the puppy
2) CURRENT VIDEOS  
3) INDIVIDUAL photos of your puppy and the litter.
4) RECENT vet papers
5) Access to their vet
It is possible to upload photos and do an image check to see if the photo of 'your puppy'
is for real or  stock photo of a cute puppy. Many scammers have the most beautiful images of the nonexistent puppy they are offering, scammers are good at finding images online and pretending they took them.

NEVER NEVER NEVER

PAY FOR DELIVERY
That the "breeder" 
sets up.
And,
NEVER NEVER NEVER
pay for delivery or pay for the puppy before you meet the puppy in person.
Delivery should only be paid when the puppy is in your hands, not before.
More tips to avoid scams:
1) Ask to talk to the breeder by phone. 
This will weed out non English speakers.
2) If they send a few photos, ask for a different point of view. For example, if the photos only show the puppy asleep, ask for one of its face awake.
This will help weed out those using photos they found online.
RESEARCH THE INTERNET TRAILS:
Emailed and texted photos have  address trails. Hover over the email address and see where they originate. Google the address and see if it goes to a completely different breeder/state/country etc.

3) If the breeder says they have done DNA and/ or hip and elbow tests, request to see the certificates. Nowadays most legit breeders have these.
Next, and this is IMPORTANT, when they email or text you the certificate, hover over and get the complete address from which it originated. A scammer once used our certificate and the address showed RedTeddy.
A person searching for a red Poodle - someone who clearly did their research,
contacted us and found it was not one of our puppies.
ASK FOR THE BACKGROUND TESTING
The companies who do these DNA and health tests are also your resources!
Ask what company did the health tests and then call them directly.
They can check if the certificate is legit or if they have no such record.
Ask the 'seller' for  the birthday of parent dogs, then once you have the
certificate check that the birthdays match.

5) If the pup is being sold as AKC or from AKC parents, ask for the mother's registered  full name and then call the AKC and see if there are recent litters for that dog.  Explain to AKC that you are suspicious about possible fraud and they while they will not share much, they  should give you basic info as to if they have a litter registered for the mother dog and/or the birthday of the pup you are buying.
Some scammers change dates on the forms AKC should be able to confirm or deny it.

6) AKC will not give out contact info but they will email the breeder shown on the pedigree on your behalf with your contact info if you ask nicely.
We did this and the real breeder got in touch and confirmed it was a scam!

7) If the puppy is being sold without papers, ask for recent vet records on the puppy and/or the parents. In the USA vets may only confirm the owner is or is not a client.
If they do not recognize the name you've been given that's a bad sign.
If the vet does confirm they are clients, ask them if they would recommend them.
 NOTE: Scammers may use stolen or 'creative' vet reports, changing relevant dates and names. Google search the vet office and confirm the form you have is real by contacting them using the website contact info.

8 ) Check the dates and handwriting on the vet report.  We once received a vet report for a puppy we were told lived in Tennesee with this date: 28/02/2022. Notice the difference? (in the USA, we put the month first).
Look at how they write their numbers. 
9) Do not pay with bitcoin or anything other than a usps money order or reliable payment app or Paypal backed up by your credit card.

NEVER NEVER NEVER
use  a PAYPAL ACCOUNT BACKED UP BY YOUR BANK ACCOUNT!!!
If you are scammed out of a deposit Paypal is your first line of defense
but if Paypal can’t get their money back from the scammer, you won't get it  back
unless your purchase also went thought your credit card.
As long as you have an email or text thread of communication with the scammer
your credit card back up should help you. 
If everything looks good and you feel confident in sending a deposit and want to use Paypal, which we recommend despite the 3% fee,
Call Paypal, (888) 221-1161
BEFORE you send money and
give them the seller's Paypal account info.
Ask the representative where the Paypal account originates.
It should be in the same state and country where your puppy is,
you may need to ask for a supervisor.
 If the account comes up as in, for example, Bangkok, it's fraud. If the sellers account looks good, ask if there have been any fraud cases against it.
We use PayPal, but other banking apps might do the same.

Feel free to share this advice to anyone you know who is looking for a puppy, especially older people who are not savvy online consumers like you are. Let's work together to stop the next family from the heartbreak and financial misery
​of being scammed when looking for a best friend.

*If you get to the point of buying a puppy from the seller who does not have a track record or is very small, have them sign papers you put together to protect yourself.  Include the seller's contact info and a copy of their license. This paper should have them agree to follow all the laws covering the sale of puppies in their state. 
Small breeders may not know it, and larger breeders maybe hiding from the Department of Agriculture that protects buyers. As a breeder in NY, we are required to give all buyers a copy of the laws that protect them with each puppy. Smaller breeders selling a few pups a year are exempt, so you will need to have them sign your paperwork saying that they agree to abide by the law even if not legally required to do so.)

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