Maltese

Online Maltese puppy scams

The huge amount of Maltese sales happening online these days also brings out the evil people looking to make a quick, easy and terribly illegal buck. These people hide behind quickly formed websites, stolen photos and fake information. Their goal is to get as much money from you as fast as they can.

Here are a few tips on how to spot a scam:

1. All of the Maltese puppies are ready to go right now. They are usually (initially) very cheap. Example: A puppy for $650 is not realistic!
2. All of the photos look different. Different quality, different backgrounds, etc. Most breeders, have a certain “style” or “look” to their photos and all photos will have a similar style and background. Example: Multiple sofas, multiple floors etc. A breeder would photograph a new litter of puppies in the same place with the same background.
3. After the initial deposit is made, they continue to want more money in order to deliver your puppy. Alternatively, some scammers simply take the deposit and you’ll never hear from them again.
4. They will never meet in person or even have a video call to look at the puppy before you put your deposit down. Simply because, they’re not a “real” breeder and likely live out of the country. Even if the phone number is local!
5. They will ask you to pay via Western Union, Venmo, CashApp, etc. Some method of payment that is untraceable.
6. After the inital scripted emails you’ll notice much shorter emails and messages with a lot of spelling errors and incorrect grammar. Oftentimes they are making websites so quick that they’ll even get breeds mixed up.

The best way to protect yourself from Maltese puppy scams is to have a live video call with the seller to ensure that you are actually buying the live, happy Maltese puppy that you saw on their website.