Additional Information for Hopeland Australian Shepherds

BBB conducted an investigation based on a new BBB Scam Tracker Entry received in July 2020. The consumer alleged not receiving the promised puppy that was paid for by money transfer using Zelle. After claiming the puppy was "shipped" the business wanted more money for life insurance; the consumer found that the picture of the puppy they were interested in did not belong to the business, the picture was stolen from an Instagram post. Puppy was not received and no refunds were issued.

The phone number, (970) 579-0569, also belongs to https://www.p-corgiland.com. This BBB Profile will still contain investigation information for all websites found to share common information. A separate BBB Profile for https://www.p-corgiland.com can be found at:
https://www.bbb.org/us/oh/cleveland/profile/dog-breeders/corgi-land-0312-92049674

BBB reviewed the website, https://hopelandaustralianshepherds.com:
- The website was created on June 15th, 2020.
- BBB was not able to verify if the business actually owns the pictures of the puppies listed on their website or if the pictures were stolen from another website.
- The puppies are advertised as Australian Shepherds, however the images of the "available" puppies are actually various dog breeds.

BBB reviewed the website, https://www.p-corgiland.com:
- The website https://www.p-corgiland.com was created on March 8th, 2019.
- BBB was not able to verify if the business actually owns the pictures of the puppies listed on their website or if the pictures were stolen from another website.
- The puppies are advertised as Pembroke Welsh Corgis, however the images of the "available" puppies are actually various dog breeds. This website(s) is operating a Puppy Scam
If you are looking for a pet to add to your family, be on the lookout for scams. As more consumers turn to the internet to find new pets, more scams are popping up online. Experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored advertisements about pets may be fake.
For More information about Puppy Scams and how to Avoid them please visit: bbb.org/puppyscam
Tips for avoiding puppy scams:
Don't buy a pet without seeing it in person or at a minimum consider a video call with the seller so you can see the seller and the actual pet for sale.
Do an internet search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, you may be dealing with a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials to see if the seller copied it from another site.
Never pay a stranger with a money order or through Western Union or Moneygram or using a mobile payment app like Zelle or CashApp or a Gift Card. These payment methods offer no recourse and no way to get your money back if you are the victim of a scam.
Always use a credit card in case you need to dispute the charges. Fraudsters may claim to accept credit cards, but may steal your credit card information to use it in other scams or inform you that payment didn't go through and request the payment via alternative methods like mentioned above.
Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting. If someone is advertising a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, and then other payment is required for services like vaccination or shipping you could be dealing with a fraudulent offer.
Consider reaching out to a local animal shelter. Many shelters are looking for fosters to help relieve the animal's stress and reduce overcrowding at their facilities. Humane Society of the United States refers consumers to local shelters.

What if you have been a victim of a puppy scam?
File a report with BBB's Scam Tracker
Report Website to Petscams.com
Report to your credit card issuer - if you provided your credit card number, even if the transaction was not completed.
Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or Call 1-877-FTC-HELP
Homeland Security Investigations at the Department of Homeland Security also handles international fraud. Call 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) (from U.S. and Canada)
In Canada, report to the Canadian Antifraud Centre at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm or Call 1-888-495-8501
If you sent money through Western Union, MoneyGram, Green Dot MoneyPak or a mobile payment app (i.e. Zelle or CashApp) contact those companies directly for information about the transactions. They also download their complaints into the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database, which police around the country can access.
Green Dot 800-795-7597
Western Union 1-800-448-1492
MoneyGram 1-800-926-9400
Zelle 1-844-428-8542 or visit: https://www.zellepay.com/support/scam or https://www.zellepay.com/pay-it-safe/understanding-fraud-and-scams for more information.
CashApp 1-855-351-2275 or visit: https://cash.app/help/us/en-us/6482-recognize-scams