The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is issuing a warning about a surge in puppy scams as the holiday season approaches, when many families seek to add a new pet to their homes for Christmas. Scammers exploit this demand by building professional-looking websites, posting stolen photos of adorable puppies, and claiming the animals are available for immediate adoption or shipping. After victims send payment—often rushed by promises of high demand or holiday discounts—the seller vanishes, and no puppy ever arrives. Fraudsters frequently invent extra fees for things like insurance, special crates, vaccinations, or expedited holiday delivery, all of which are major red flags.

To protect themselves, the BBB advises consumers to insist on seeing the puppy in person or through live video (scammers almost always refuse video calls), perform a reverse image search on the photos to check if they’re stolen, avoid untraceable payment methods such as gift cards, Zelle, Cash App, or cryptocurrency (credit cards offer the best protection), thoroughly research the seller for reviews, complaints, and verifiable contact information, be wary of prices that seem too good to be true—especially for purebred or popular breeds—and confirm that legitimate breeders rarely ship puppies without strict screening and contracts, while sudden “shipping problems” demanding more money are classic scam tactics. By following these steps, families can greatly reduce the risk of falling victim to these heartbreaking holiday frauds.