ATLANTA — An adorable puppy at a reasonable price. Who could resist?
Chaundretta Jackson had her sights set on a teacup Yorkie for her and her three kids.
"That was just one thing that I wanted to do for myself," Jackson said.
She turned to the webpage Oodle.com and found a teacup Yorkie for just $300.
Jackson said she texted the seller.
After paying a delivery fee, a transport fee and a registration fee, Jackson was out nearly $1,600. That's where she ran into the problem.
"They never sent the dog," Jackson said.
Jackson was duped, falling victim to what the National Consumers League says is a growing scheme; fake breeders advertising on legitimate webpages.
Officials say schemers are selling puppies that aren't really for sale.
Once a buyer bites, there are requests for fee after fee.
"It's a scam. The puppy never existed. It's totally fictitious. It's just a way to get you to send money," said John Breyault with the National Consumer League.
In the posts on the website, the photos look real because the dog is real it's just not for sale.
There's a quick trick to help you from being scammed. Take the image and do a search and you can see how many times it's been reproduced for a fake ad.
"The scammers are preying on people's emotional attachments to animals," Jackson said.
For Jackson, an attachment to a dog she can never have and money she'll never see again.
WSBTV
