Police warning the community concerning popular Massachusetts holiday scam involving puppies

The Boston Police Department wants to warn the community concerning a particular popular scam.

As the holiday season and shopping begins, fraudsters will look to take advantage. Puppy Scams are considered one of the common holiday scams

Adding a puppy is a common occurrence during the holiday season. The internet has become the go to place to find those new friends and unfortunately 80% of sponsored pet advertisements online may be fake, according to the BBB.

Before purchasing a furry friend, individuals should conduct a reverse image search for other ads.

Do research on a fair price for the breed and never purchase a pet before seeing them in person.

Avoid wiring, using cash app or gift cards.

Reporting Holiday Scams:

• Local Police Departments

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/

• If the scammers obtained your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov (https://www.identitytheft.gov/), to see what steps to take including how to monitor your credit.