Ōtautahi – Police are warning the public to watch out for scams if they are buying a puppy for Christmas.
People sometimes think they can get good deals through online traders and other times there are people selling puppies which don’t exist.
Some online trading sites and fake websites have been set up to sell puppies to buyers, sight-unseen, police say.
They can be sought-after and popular breeds such as English bulldogs, huskies, Staffordshire bull terriers, to Maltese, and even toy poodles.
The public need to be careful not to fall into this trap. Sellers claim these puppies to be fully vaccinated and potty trained, and a fake seller is likely in service.
In the past sellers have suggested paying for a change of ownership document for each purchased puppy, which is not a thing in New Zealand.
Neither is a breeder registering the puppy before you get it. All these things are red flags, police says.
People need to be doing some extensive research on puppy sellers before paying money to anyone. Police have offered safety tips for people buying a puppy online:
- Always buy from a reputable breeder or authentic seller if you can
- Ask to see the puppy first and meet in a public place if you are unable to go to their property
- Make sure a friend or family member is aware of the transaction details before you go
- Try to avoid making a transaction before meeting someone first and never deposit money into a person’s account without viewing the puppy first
- Trust instincts, if it sounds like a scam, and it’s too good to be true it probably is
- Call 111 in an emergency if something is happening right now, illegal or suspicious
- If it’s already happened provide information via the police non-emergency number by calling 105 or go online at 105.police.govt.nz.
