Don't Get Scammed Looking For A 'Lockdown Puppy' - ACCC Scamwatch

Australians have lost nearly $300,000 to puppy

scams this year, and scammers have been 

particularly targeting those seeking a furry 

companion during social isolation.

Scamwatch has seen a recent spike in puppy 

scams and in April reports were almost five 

times higher than the average, with losses on 

track to exceed the 2019 total of $360,000.

“A lot of people are stuck at home and going 

online to buy a pet to help them get through 

the loneliness of social isolation,” ACCC 

Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.

“Unfortunately the rush to get a new pet and 

the unusual circumstances of COVID-19 

makes it harder to work out what’s real or a 

scam.”

Scammers set up fake websites or ads on online classifieds and social media pretending to sell sought-after dog breeds and will take advantage of the fact that you can’t travel to meet the puppy in person.

The scammer will usually ask for up-front 

payments via money transfer to pay for the 

pet and transport it to you.

“Once you have paid the initial deposit, the 

scammer will find new ways to ask for more 

money, and scammers are now using the 

COVID-19 pandemic to claim higher 

transportation costs to get across closed 

interstate borders or additional fees for 

‘coronavirus treatments’,” Ms Rickard said.

“Unfortunately once you make the payments, 

the seller will cease all contact.”

The most common breeds reported were 

Cavoodles and French Bulldogs and most 

people contacted the scammers via an email 

address they found online.

“The safest option is to only buy or adopt a 

pet you can meet in person and if you cannot

 do that during the current lockdown 

restrictions, consider putting the search on

hold,” Ms Rickard said.

“Scam websites can look quite convincing, so 

try not to fall for the adorable puppy pictures 

they post, and remember, if the price looks too 

good to be true, it probably is.”

“Research the seller by running an internet 

search using the exact wording in the ad and 

do a reverse image search for pictures of the 

specific puppy, as you’re likely to be dealing 

with a scammer if you find matching images or 

text on multiple websites,” Ms Rickard said.

“If you are in doubt, seek advice from a 

reputable breeders association, vet or local 

pet shop.”

So far this year Scamwatch has received over 

2,000 reports about COVID-19 scams and 

reported losses are now more than $700,000.

“If you think you have been scammed, contact 

your bank or financial institution as soon as 

possible,” Ms Rickard said.

More information on coronavirus scams is 

available on the Scamwatch website, 

including how to make a report and where 

to get help.

You can also follow @scamwatch_gov on 

Twitter and subscribe to Scamwatch 

radar alerts.

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