Consumer scam: Internet pet sales

We all know the internet can be a great place to buy anything from books to rare gifts, but it's not where you should go to buy a new pet.

In addition to disreputable dealers and puppy mills, internet scammers have crept into the realm of online pet sales, stealing money from unsuspecting people who think their new dog or cat is on the way to his or her new home, when in fact there was never really an animal at all. The only party harmed in these scams is the person who is out hundreds or thousands of dollars.

In the real world of online pet sales, families often lose significant money when the pet they ordered falls ill soon after arrival, but the real victims are the breeding animals stuck in factory-style operations, churning out babies to be sold off for a quick profit.

Over the 'net, overseas

Tens of thousands of dogs are shipped into the U.S. from puppy mills in foreign countries, purchased by people over internet sites. Many people who have purchased puppies and kittens online find that their new pets are sick and often die from their health problems.

Some never even knew they were dealing with someone outside of the U.S. or that their puppy was born overseas before being sold to a U.S. broker. A good rule of thumb is to not deal with anyone who claims to be a distant buyer, seller or adopter.

“If you buy a puppy online, it’s very likely you’re getting scammed,” said John Goodwin, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States' Stop Puppy Mills campaign. “Even if you get the puppy you ordered, it may have come from a puppy mill and they won’t show you the deplorable conditions they’re kept in. If you are buying a puppy from a breeder, make sure you meet the breeder, meet the mother dog and see where she lives.”

Where's my puppy?

The cute puppies in photos on legitimate-looking websites are almost too cute to be real. Often, they aren't.

One scam promises you a free puppy—as long as you pay the shipping. Once the scammers get your "shipping" costs, the scammer says your puppy is stuck at the airport due to customs complications and you are asked to send more money. Finally, the scammer (and the puppy who never existed in the first place) disappear. In many cases, victims think their dog is at the airport waiting for them after they've sent two or three money orders.

Some fraudulent email scammers prey upon the kindheartedness of dog lovers who want to offer homes to puppies and their parents.

English bulldogs and Yorkshire terriers are two of the breeds most often mentioned in puppy money order scams, perhaps because they are such popular and expensive breeds.