Protecting Your Account from Hijacking/Hacking

Your account safety is important to us. Sometimes scammers try to trick users into giving away login or payment information. This is often called “hijacking” or “hacking,” and it can be tough to spot. Here’s how to stay safe.

How Scammers Try to Steal Accounts

• Scammers may send phishing emails that look like they are from Puppies.com.
• Those phishing emails may request your login info outright, or they might try to redirect you to a fraudulent phishing site designed to look like Puppies.com.
• Some scammers create fake Puppies.com accounts and send messages through our Message Center pretending to be Support.
• Accounts are also at risk if you use a weak password or share your login information.

A Recent Scam to Watch Out For

Scammers recently created fake Puppies.com accounts and messaged sellers through our Message Center, pretending to be Puppies Support. They asked for credit card details to “unlock buyer messages” or “verify” accounts.

We may sometimes ask for the last 4 digits of your card to look up a payment, but nothing more.

If you receive one of these scam messages, click the Report button in the Message Center thread. If you already shared your card information, you should monitor your bank statement and contact your bank right away.

How to Verify Official Puppies.com Emails

• Official emails will only come from:
  • support@puppies.com
  • noreply@puppies.com
  • newsletter@puppies.com
  • marketing@puppies.com
• In Gmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo, our legitimate emails show our logo and a verified checkmark:

• Always click on the sender’s name (or the arrow icon next to the sender's name) to view the sender's address and confirm it is one of the legit emails listed above.
• Check the legitimacy of any suspicious messages by contacting us directly at support@puppies.com
• When in doubt, type www.puppies.com directly into your browser to login instead of clicking a link in a suspicious email you received.

Signs Your Account May Be Compromised

• You may have trouble logging in with your usual password.
• You may receive password reset emails you did not request.
• You may notice messages being sent from your account that you did not write.
• You may see changes to your listings or account settings that you did not make.

How to Protect Your Account

• Always log in by typing www.puppies.com directly into your browser instead of using email links.
• Create a strong, unique password that you do not use on other websites.
• Make sure your password uses numbers, special characters, and upper- and lower-case letters.
• Never share your login information with anyone.
• Keep your email account secure, since it is tied to your Puppies.com login.

What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Hacked

1. Change your Puppies.com password right away (instructions here).
2. Update your email account with a strong, new password.
3. Contact Puppies.com Support so we can help restore access to your account. You can do so by contacting us directly at support@puppies.com.
4. If you shared payment information, keep a close eye on your statements and report suspicious charges to your bank.

Most problems can be fixed quickly if they are reported right away. Don't panic, and approach things cautiously and carefully to keep your account safe. And remember: Puppies.com will never ask for your full credit card number or password by email or through the Message Center or through email.