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Alert
UPDATE: THIS IS A PUPPY SCAM. One recent Scam Tracker report stated “He sent a picture of an empty dog crate” when the consumer requested a refund. Another consumer stated “The business contacted me and actually said that they are a scammer and they will not be refunding me any money.” A complainant drove to both addresses given to her in NC. The first one was a house that noone was home and the second was an apartment complex.
The
company has changed their name and website several times, but the scheme is always the
same: NO PUPPY! BBB continues to receive Scam Tracker reports and complaints.
As of May 2023, the active websites are: nashvillemaltipoos.com, lasvegasmaltipoo.com, sweetestcitipuppy.com, nicecitypuppies.com, krislightmaltipoos.com and greatmaltipoohome.com. The names they are going by are: Citi Puppy, Home Puppies and Sweet Citi Puppies. The former websites cudypopsweet.com, citiipuppy.com, Krislightpuppies.com, cutecitipuppies.com and citipuppyhomes.com are no longer working.
In the FAQ's section of these websites, under the title "How do I know you are a legitimate company?" it states "We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau along with stellar reviews on Yelp."
Beginning in August 2021, BBB received numerous Scam Tracker reports and one complaint for Citi Puppy. Consumers stated they searched online for Malipoo puppies in the North Carolina area and found the website, cudypopsweet.com. Several complainants stated correspondence was with Anthony Kahn only by phone/text, with one stating the phone number changed midway through their transaction.
Consumers each alleged Mr. Kahn promised them a puppy with a down payment, ranging from $200 to $500, made typically with Zelle, but Apple Pay was also used. The remaining payment for the dog ranged from $250 - $650 with the date due altering with each transaction along with the reasoning.
The consumers that made the Zelle payments stated they were asked to make the payments to different names other than Anthony Kahn.
Half the consumers were told they could pick their puppy up in NC, while the other half were told the puppies were actually in WV and needed to be shipped. When payments were received, Mr. Kahn attempted to get more money by stating a larger crate was needed for $500-$600. The consumers that traveled to the given NC address found the address to not exist.
None of the complainants received a puppy, but all lost their money, ranging from $300 to $1000.
In reviewing the website, a reverse image lookup was done for the available puppies for sale. The Malipoo puppy Ben ($750) was found on another website, https://luxuriousteacuppuppies.com, being sold as “Dreamer, a 9 week old male Poodle for $620”.
According to Whois.com, the website cudypopsweet.com was registered on September 1, 2020 for only one year. The website has expired and as of September 21, 2021 is no longer working.
If you have been a victim of a puppy scam, file a report with BBB.org/ScamTracker, to help warn others. You can also lodge a complaint at Petscams.com, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the Federal Trade Commission.
For more information and BBB tips on puppy scams, visit BBB.org/all/petscams.
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