Westfield Police Report Puppy Scam

WESTFIELD, NJ — With more people working remotely and isolating amid the coronavirus pandemic, there's an increased demand for new pets. More dogs are being adopted from shelters, news reports say, and some have spoken of a "puppy shortage." (There are still pets who could use loving homes.)

The demand has gotten high enough that pet scams are on the rise, experts say.

The Westfield police reported in a release on Tuesday that last Tuesday, a resident of Boynton Avenue reported being the victim of fraud.

"The victim attempted to purchase a puppy from an online seller, who accepted $1,770 and did not ship the puppy as agreed upon," the police noted.

The hapless, petless resident is not alone.

The Wall Street Journal reported in September that puppy rackets are "this year's big online scam."

And Good Morning America provided three tips to avoid puppy scams:

• See the dog in person first, if it's safe
• Consider if the price seems unusually low for a purebred
• Always report scams to help the next person.

The Westfield police can be reached at 908-789-4000. In an emergency call 911.

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