With the extra time we’ve been spending at home during the pandemic, more of us have welcomed a four-legged family member into our lives. For instance, puppy adoption spiked across the country in February 2022.
The beginning of 2022 represented a 12% increase in puppy adoption compared to the last two months of 2021, according to a report by TOP Agency, a marketing company.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General has seen a surge in complaints of internet scammers using the pandemic as an excuse to refuse in-person visits or to demand additional fees, including fees for shipment in special “protective” crates, for pandemic insurance or a COVID-19 vaccine or medication for dogs — none of which exist, according to the department. Such methods are in addition to the typical scam practices of advertising puppies that do not exist or demanding exorbitant fees once the purchase price is paid.
Several Michiganders have recently been tricked into paying for pets that do not exist. Due to these thieves often being outside the United States, the prospects of getting money back are extremely low, according to the department.
To highlight the importance of doing the research before getting a pet to avoid scams, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a video Wednesday as part of her “Consumer Alert” series focused on protecting Michigan…
