Beware of these fake ‘Pets for Sale’ website

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning on fake “Pets for Sale Websites.”

What does the telephone number of 678-953-6480 and address of 405 Altoona Place, SW, Atlanta, Georgia have in common? They are the number and address given on fake websites stating they have pets for sale.

The company names are:

Schnauzers Land

Heaven Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Merlys German Short-Haired Pointers

AIM Pet Delivery

StarLick Pet Transportation

Elk Mini Schnauzers

Fonbi Saint Bernard Puppies

Each company has an F rating with BBB due to the fact that they have not obtained the necessary license from Georgia’s Department of Agriculture. This license is required to operate any business offering dog breeding services.

Our office contacted each company requesting license verification. To date, no response has been received.

BBB offers the following tips to avoid falling prey to fake pet websites:

How the Scam Works:

You want to buy a puppy, so you look online for breeders. You come across a website that appears to be run by dog breeder who has puppies for sale. There are photos of the puppies and guarantees of their health and vaccinations. There’s even a section about the breeders with glowing testimonials. The prices of these puppies are lower than those of other breeders (or perhaps even free).

You email the breeder.  The puppy is still available, the breeder is happy to ship him or her to you.  All you need to do is use a wire transfer (or other untraceable method) to send money to the “breeder.” Then, he or she will ship you your new dog.

Don’t do it! The scammer won’t send the puppy, because the dog doesn’t exist. The scammer simply stole the pictures and other information from a legitimate breeders’ website.

Tips to avoid a puppy scam:

Always visit the breeder. Responsible breeders and rescue groups will be more than happy to offer you a tour.

Search for website warning signs. The reason fake breeder websites look real is because the content is typically stolen from another site. Look for duplicate sites by copying a line from the website into a search engine and looking for identical wording elsewhere on the Internet. Also, search for the domain name on “WHOIS Lookup.” Make sure the site is hosted in the country where the breeders claim to be located.

Pick your puppy up at the kennel. Don’t rely on the breeder to ship the puppy.

Check references.  Talk to others who have purchased pets from this breeder and the veterinarian the breeder works with.

Pay with check or credit card. If a breeder pressures you to pay by wire transfer or prepaid debit card, it is probably a scam.

Consumers should check with BBB and the Georgia Department of Agriculture prior to purchase.

Report any “fake pet website” to BBB’s Scam Tracker.