Atlanta

Scam targets people looking to buy dogs online

By Nefertiti Jaquez
By Nefertiti Jaquez

ATLANTA — The Better Business Bureau is warning of a scam targeting people looking to buy dogs online that traces back to metro Atlanta.

Yvette Gayle moved into a home in southwest Atlanta earlier this year and said her address is being used as part of the scam.

Gayle said a woman drove from Tennessee thinking she was about to pick up her new puppy.

"She drove five hours from Tennessee and she's basically saying that someone by the name of Peter made arrangements for her to pick up a shepherd puppy, and this was the address (he) gave her," Gayle said.

Gayle said she's not a breeder and her home is not a kennel.

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"It's weird, but scary at the same time just to have this house affiliated with so many people, so many scams," she said.

Mike Boynton with the Better Business Bureau said thieves have been using fake websites, a specific cellphone number (678-953-6480) and Gayle's address to scam people out of thousands of dollars.

Victims see a website that appears to have puppies for sale, with photos and guarantees of their health and vaccinations. The prices listed are lower than those of other breeders, or possibly even free.

The alleged breeder offers to send the puppy to the victim once they transfer money.

"You send your money through the wire and the puppy, the animal, never shows up," Boynton said.

Channel 2's Nefertiti Jaquez called the listed cellphone number and no obe picked up at first. Then someone picked up and immediately hung up.

The company names associated with the scam 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
  • Jiminies Kennels
  • Burly Minioussis

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 which is required to operate a business offering dog breeding services.

How to avoid a puppy scam: 

  • Always visit the breeder
  • Search for website warning signs: 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 
  • Check references
  • 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.

Cox Media Group

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