Identifying and Avoiding Scams and Fraud

While our Support Team works hard to block scammers and remove fake accounts, we can’t guarantee that every buyer who contacts you is legitimate. That's where this article comes in: it's designed to help you recognize common internet scams to help you protect your account, your personal information, and your finances when using Puppies.com or any other online platform.

1. Phishing Emails

Scammers may send emails that look like they’re from Puppies.com, asking you to share your login information or click on a link to a fake version of our website. These fake websites often look convincing, but if you look closely at the web address (URL), it won’t be puppies.com. The goal? To steal your Puppies.com login info to use your account to scam potential buyers.

Always check the sender! Official Puppies.com emails come from:

• support@puppies.com
• noreply@puppies.com
• newsletter@puppies.com
• marketing@puppies.com

In Gmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo, legit messages now include our logo and a verified checkmark. Click the sender's name to see the full email address and domain:

Always double-check the full sender address before replying, and never enter your login details unless you're sure you're on our official website. If you’re ever unsure, go directly to www.puppies.com in your browser rather than clicking a link in the email.

2. Overpayment Scams

In this common scam, a buyer offers to send you more money than the price for the puppy (usually with a stolen check or stolen credit card), and requests you to send the extra money or forward it to someone else (like a “shipping agent”). After their original payment is reversed by the bank, you are left responsible for the money you already sent out.

To avoid this scam, never agree to accept overpayments, and never send funds to another on behalf of a buyer; legitimate buyers will pay only the agreed-upon amount.

3. Six-Digit Code Scams

This scam often starts with a text message asking you to confirm your phone number by replying with a six-digit code. In reality, the scammer is trying to gain access to your phone or other online accounts by using that code to reset a password. Once they've compromised your phone, your email, or your iCloud account, they can then use it to compromise other accounts you own.

Six-digit code scams often look like this:

Never share a verification code with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, even if they claim it’s just for identity confirmation.

4. Fake Customer Service Scams

Scammers may call or email pretending to be from Puppies.com, asking for your password or your full credit card information. Our team will never ask for your password or full card number, and we never take payments over the phone.

If someone claiming to be from Puppies.com asks for that information, hang up or stop replying: it is not a legitimate request. Puppies.com Support will never ask for your password, your full credit card number, or verification codes.