SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — You’ve no doubt heard about online puppy scams. They’ve been going on for years, but the pandemic has brought on a big jump in cases, with losses estimated at more than $3 million dollars.
Now a new case out of Arkansas, with victims all across the country, including right here in South Dakota, is giving us incredible insight into how these scammers operate. KELOLAND Investigates reveals how images of cute puppies online target unsuspecting victims trapping them in “a doggone scam.”
Some of the most popular dogs people search for online are French Bulldogs and Yorkshire Terriers. Arkansas officials say a couple of con-artists had phony websites offering those breeds and at least six others for sale.
“When I found these gorgeous puppies on this advertising, I thought here we go… This will be great! Jeannie Hudson said.
Jeannie Hudson, of Spearfish, fell in love with the photo of a French Bulldog puppy named Hope. She and her husband Adam inquired about purchasing the puppy via email.
The seller wrote back that the puppies were nine weeks old and cost $600 flat. And in bold letters: “BUT WHY CHEAP???? We’re giving a 50% discount because we’re expecting our new litter on the 28th of next month, so we want to sell them in order to reduce our workload since we both have other jobs.”
None of this worried the Hudsons because they had previously bred and sold Beagles online themselves.
“I think it…
