CYPRESS, Texas – Puppy scams are not new. Con artists play on your emotions with the promise of a sweet, new furry friend that, in the end, victims learn may not even exist. The KPRC 2 Investigates team has a new twist on the old puppy scam that uses real pictures and videos of puppies that are actually for sale.
A lot of legitimate dog breeders and sellers are using social media for their business. But one Cypress woman contacted us when she said she caught a scammer using her videos and pictures to get people to pay deposits for dogs she didn’t own.
Lindy Johnson breeds Australian Labradoodles and business is booming.
“They don’t shed. They’re easygoing. They’re perfect family dogs,” said Johnson. “Everybody wants a puppy. And everybody wants a puppy now.”
A few months ago, a customer recognized Lindy on someone else’s page.
“She saw that this scammer posing like a breeder was using my videos, my pictures,” she said.
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The scam is pretty simple.
“They get the deposit and they disappear. So I’ve had two customers tell me that happened to them. So they…
