The Better Business Bureau is warning B.C. residents to be cautious about scams this holiday season that include everything from fake puppy listings to bogus gift exchanges.
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The Better Business Bureau is warning B.C. residents to be cautious about falling in love with a puppy for sale this holiday season — it may not be real.
The bureau says up to 80 per cent of online pet ads may be fake, as it places pet sales among its annual list of holiday-season scams.
Neesha Hothi, director of marketing and communications for the Better Business Bureau, said scammers often impersonate breeders to get buyers “emotionally tied” to a puppy.
But the puppy may not even exist, so Hothi said it’s important to see a pet in person before paying anything.
“They’re setting up websites, or they’re using stolen photos from other people, and their intention is to steal your credit card information to either use or sell it at a later time, or they’re getting you to make a payment and ask you for money, and then disappear,” said Hothi.
Hothi said she recommends people do a reverse image search to check if a puppy photo has been used elsewhere or if it was created by artificial intelligence.