COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Are you looking to add a four legged friend to add to your family? If so, be careful of where you shop.
Authorities in Collier County are warning people of an online pet scam.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office posted the warning to Facebook on Tuesday afternoon.
Deputies said that swindlers are using the coronavirus pandemic as a reason future pet parents can meet puppies.
“Oh, it’s dirty. It’s terrible,” said Nan Suffian of Naples. “That is the worst thing I can think of.”
They ask for payment upfront, saying it cover shipping, a nanny and even a COVID-19 pet shot, which doesn’t exist.
Naples-based breeder, Florida Puppies Online, said that there’s some red flags to look out for.
The first — if they won’t video chat with you and the puppy, that’s a warning sign.
Secondly, what kind of payments are they accepting?
“If they’re taking forms of payment like money orders, Venmo, PayPal, Friends and Family, anything where you can’t get your money back, it should be a big red flag,” said Teddy Collins, Owner of Florida Puppies Online.
Lastly, if pictures on their website have different backgrounds, beware.
“What they’ll do is actually ask us for updated pictures,” said Collins. “They might ask us for their name, when their actually asking to scam somebody else. Just because you’re getting a picture with your name in it, they can still scam you.”
At the Naples Dog Park, pet owners were shocked to hear this is going on in Collier County.
“I’m kind of appalled by it,” said Maureen Riley of Naples. “I did a lot of research and I searched all over. I found a breeder. I talked to the breeder. I interviewed.”
The sheriff’s office said that several reports of the scam have been filed in recent months.
One person even lost more than $1,000, authorities said.
Deputies encourage everyone to research the business and look at things like their Better Business Bureau rating.
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