Most pet-for-sale posts you see on social media aren’t real, according to the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York.

Pets scams are common, according to Katarina Schmieder, the communications director for the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. Four out of five scams reported are online purchase scams, and 80% of sponsored pet ads on social media aren’t real, she said.

“It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of adding a new pet to your family, and then it’s heartbreaking to find out you’ve actually encountered a scam,” Schmieder said.

That’s what happened to Shirley Alred, a woman from Texas who thought she was buying a puppy from a Gloversville couple. Victoria Chapin and Jordan Twardy are selling Sheltie puppies, and have posted the dogs on social media – easy media for a scammer to steal.

The scammer used photos and videos belonging to Chapin and Twardy to convince Alred she would sell her a Sheltie puppy for $850. The scammer said they would only accept Apple gift cards as payment, and was pushy as Alred drove to her local CVS to purchase them.

“She would say, ‘Are you there yet? Are you there yet?’” Alred said.

Once Alred read the gift card numbers to the scammer, the money was gone, and so was the scammer.

That’s when Alred reached out to Chapin, and they realized it was a scam. Now Twardy and Chapin are sending Alred a free puppy, so her $850 doesn’t go to waste.

Chapin said she is now telling anyone interested in buying their puppies that she’ll do a live video call with them, or meet in person, so you can be certain she isn’t a scam. That’s advice the BBB encourages.

Schmieder also said to always use a credit card for online purchases, as that offers an extra level of protection.

“Most credit card companies have policies in place to protect you from fraud and help you get your money back should you encounter a scam,” Schmieder said.

Other red flags include insisting on multiple payments, or added fees – like in a puppy scam, fees to ship the dog in a crate or alleged fees for vaccinations – all fake fees to squeeze more money from a scam victim.

You can report a scam to the BBB here. The more people who report scams, the easier it is to alert the public.

“By sharing your experience, you can help prevent it from happening to somebody else,” Schmieder said.

The BBB has a page specifically for pet scams, which you can access here.