PHOENIX — "As I look back, there were a lot of red flags, but we were so lured in by these cute puppies and the price was right. All sorts of things that probably were too good to be true."
The saying goes: Hindsight is 20/20. For Sue, the clarity she has now is helping her speak out to keep others from falling prey to a pet-selling scam in the Valley.
After one of her dogs passed away, Sue admits she was emotional. She says her other dogs seemed depressed by the loss as well. That's when she thought about getting a puppy to help lift up and energize herself and her dog family.
While Sue has typically rescued pets, she decided to try a different route this time.
"I saw this ad for these cute little Maltipoos."
Sue called the website which claims to raise and sell teacup Maltipoo puppies in Phoenix. She says the man on the phone didn't ask her questions about her pet ownership or ability to care for an animal but had answers for all of her questions which made him seem legitimate.
"...He did make it sound like he's been doing this a long time and he's approved... all of his dogs are vetted, and they get their shots," Sue recalled the conversation.
Now the man demanded Sue prove she was serious about the puppies. He asked for a $450 deposit.
At first, he wanted payment by Zelle or an eBay gift card. Payment by a cash app or gift card is usually a big red flag. Sue says it did make her uncomfortable, but when she questioned it, the man was convincing.
They settled on a smaller amount and Sue sent him a $200 digital gift card.
Then came the time to meet the puppies. While appointments were set, they did not go smoothly.
"He said, 'I still got a client. Don't come here. Don't park outside our house.'"
Sue says the man kept putting off their meeting. That's another red flag, and it got worse.
"I decided to check the gift card that I had given him. He had spent it."
Sue confronted the man via text. He promised her a refund. It never came and he stopped responding.
That's when Sue reached out for help.
Our Let Joe Know producer called the alleged dog breeder asking if he was still in business. He stated he was and was eager to reserve a puppy for her — if she paid a deposit by cash app or gift card.
Let Joe Know's Joe Ducey called him back asking about Sue's refund. The man stated if Sue texted him right then, he'd refund her.
Sue did.
He didn't.
During the phone calls, when asked where the man did business, he could not give an exact address. So, the Let Joe Know team went to the one listed on the website. No one was home.
The homeowner is likely another victim with the fake dog seller based somewhere else and using a local address to lure people with the scam.
Sue says she trusted the reviews on the website. The reviews are glowing, but generic. The reviews do not name a breeder and reference a "store" even though the man claims to run his business from a home.
When the Let Joe Know team checked reviews left elsewhere, we found many claiming the website and the man involved were scammers. They shared stories with similar experiences to Sue's.
If you're buying a pet, remember:
- Always research sellers and breeders and find reviews from multiple sources
- Never buy a pet without seeing it in person
- Never pay with a gift card or by cash app
- If you're a victim of a pet scam - report it!
Find details on how to report pet scams and other steps to protect yourself on the Better Business Bureau's website.
As for Sue, she used a legitimate breeder and found Louie to add to her family.
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