The stolen photo scam
A fake Facebook or Instagram page uses photos scraped from real breeders. When you pay a "deposit," the account disappears. Reverse image search every photo before sending money.
The wire transfer scam
Legitimate breeders take cards, ACH, or bank checks. Anyone insisting on Zelle, Cash App, wire, or crypto is a red flag. That’s not a preference — it’s specifically because those payment types are irreversible.
The "shipping only" scam
The seller claims you can’t visit or pick up the puppy. The puppy will "be shipped." Then there are surprise fees. Then a fake courier. Then more fees. There is no puppy.
The under-priced puppy scam
A "fully tested, AKC-registered Frenchie" for $1,500. The math doesn’t work. DNA + OFA + cardiac + eye + vet care costs the breeder $1,000+ per litter. Any legitimate puppy will be priced above $3,000.
The urgent-deposit scam
"Another family is coming in an hour, so send the deposit now." Real breeders never rush you.
What to do if you’ve been scammed
Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, your state attorney general, and your bank/payment provider. If it happened through a listing platform, report to them too. Then tell us — we track patterns across the industry.