WALTHAM, Mass. (WWLP) – The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a warning for consumers against French bulldog breeder “Divine Frenchies Home” located in in Spartanburg, SC, and Waltham, MA.
The warning reportedly comes as multiple complaints have been filed with the BBB about the breeder. One consumer allegedly lost over $4,000 to the scam. The warning applies divinefrenchieshome.com which BBB say hosts pictures of puppies claiming to be American Kennel Club registered. A google search of the website yields multiple warnings from review websites all alerting consumers of the scam.
According to the BBB, both addresses listed for the alleged breeder are the addresses of private citizens, rather than a business. The scam reportedly has unknowing consumers pay a disclosed amount of money through payments apps; following this the scammers cut off all contact with the consumer.
The BBB recommends the following tips to avoid being scammed while searching for a pet.
- Do your research: Check online presence and profiles for complaints and customer reviews before you make the purchase.
- Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person.
- Conduct a reverse image search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, it’s likely a fraud.
- Avoid wiring money, or using a cash app or gift card: These payment methods offer no way to get your money back if you are the victim of fraud.
