It is sad that you cannot trust everyone, and there are those who are willing to steal your cash and leave you with nothing. Unfortunately, it is a fact and something you need to watch out for – especially when it comes to apparatuses like Craigslist!

“My recommendation is either deal with a reputable breeder to buy a puppy, or adopt one. There’s rescues, there’s shelters,” said Theresa Redmon, the IMPD Animal Care and Control Liaison.

Redmon deals with dog scams regularly and says this case is a classic Craigslist scam. For years, Hoosiers have been scammed out of thousands of dollars, unknowingly sending their cash to criminals and not a breeder.

“Anytime that happens, it’s a red flag for anyone. Never transfer money to anyone unless you have your eyes on that item. Whether it be a dog, a car, anything,” said Redmon.

If you’ve been victim of a puppy scam, call the Attorney General’s consumer complaint line at 1-800-382-5516 or (317) 232-6330.

When it comes down to it, never just send money. Go to the area where the puppy is and look at it, play with it, and then hand the cash over if he's the one you want. If a breeder or even just a regular person is legitimate, they will not begrudge you bonding with the pug puppy before you buy!

Go over to Fox 59 to watch a story about a poor unfortunate who thought she was getting an adorable pug puppy but instead got scammed out of one hundred dollars!