Community
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.
