Google Helping Stop Puppy Scams

This sort of a scam became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and it's still raging wild across the Internet.

puppy scam

You may have heard that someone wanted to buy a puppy online and instead of getting a new pet, they were scammed.

The situation escalated during the pandemic when many folks decided they could get themselves a pet to combat loneliness. Some nasty scammers thought this was also a good idea to scam people. That’s just the world we live in and there will always be people looking to trick others into giving them their hard-earned money.

In this article, we will explore the so-called “puppy fraud” and how you can protect yourself against such a scam (and still get yourself a pet).

Puppy fraud 101

Simply put, puppy fraud or puppy scam is about the fake sale of dogs. It presumes a scammer, posing as a breeder, posting a fake ad listing of purebred dogs. From that point on, they just wait for an unsuspecting buyer to inquire about the puppy.

Then the discussion starts with the seller asking for funds at some point. Once the buyer pays the requested sum, the seller disappears and never sends the actual dog to the buyer.

This sort of a scam existed for years but it was during the COVID-19 pandemic when it exploded in “popularity” and the situation doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Except if some “higher force” doesn’t act to stop it.

One of the organizations calling for the “higher force” engagement was AARP, a U.S. non-profit that aims to help individuals over 50. This is because victims of puppy scams skew older in age. So the AARP called upon Google to do something about it…

Google helping fight the puppy scams

Google is using its vast pool of cash to sue the perpetrators of the puppy scam. In one case, they are suing Cameron-based Nche Noel Ntse for breaching the terms of service.

Said individual has reportedly set up multiple websites to sell basset hounds, using cute pictures and customer testimonials.

Google claims that the defendant used Google’s services, including Gmail and Google Voice via dozens of Google accounts, to lie to victims and receive payments — all in violation of Google’s terms of service.

The lawsuit reveals that the victim paid Nche Noel Ntse $700 in online gift cards to purchase a puppy. Like that’s not enough, he later requested an additional $1,500 for supposed delivery charges, which the victim also paid. Needless to say, the puppy was never shipped.

In the suit, Google requests the U.S. District Court for Northern California to ban Nche Noel Ntse from using the company’s services and creating any more scam websites. Google is also asking for money to compensate for it having spent on investigations of the sites.

Is one suit enough?

According to Google, the goal of this legal action is to establish a legal precedent, “disrupting the tools used by scammers, and raising the consequences for bad actors.” In other words, if everything goes as planned, this one suit will have a wider effect on all puppy scams.

Another goal is to raise awareness of puppy fraud so that fewer people fall for it down the line.

How to protect yourself from puppy fraud?

If you do want a puppy, you can still look for it online, you just have to be more cautious. Here’s what Google and the American Kennel Club suggest:

  • Photos alone are not enough. It is a must to ask to see the animal in person or on a video call.
  • Use safe payment methods such as credit cards, some of which come with protections against these sorts of frauds. Never pay by gift cards or debit cards (which lack the mentioned protections).
  • Use a reverse image search of photos provided to you to check if they are stock photos or otherwise used elsewhere on the Internet.
  • Check out the seller’s reviews, complaints, and social media presence. Also, ask for referrals as generic testimonials are not good enough.
  • If it’s purebred, ask for the dog’s certificates and records.

Hopefully, some of these tips will keep you safe when buying a puppy online…