Wilsonville woman scammed while trying to buy puppy on Facebook

WILSONVILLE Ore. (KPTV) - A Wilsonville woman is sharing her story and a warning after she says she was scammed online by someone posing as a dog breeder.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says deputies are looking into Amber Allen’s case after she says she lost a few hundred dollars to someone this weekend she says was posing as a dog breeder selling Siberian huskies on Facebook.

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Allen says the man asked for a deposit before meeting Allen with the dog he was advertising. Allen says he also sent an email to her which he claimed to be a verification of his status as a dog breeder.

“I thought it was legit and he said, ‘I need $250 up front so I can pay for her registration paperwork and updated shots,’” said Allen.

Allen said she sent him the money through Cashapp, but the man never showed up to their meeting in Jefferson and blocked her on Facebook while Allen was on the way to meet him. Allen says going through this was especially emotional because about a year ago, she was making a similar trip down to Southern Oregon when she found out she had to euthanize her 6-month-old husky who was suffering from health complications.

“The last time we made this trip I was losing a dog and now we’re getting one,” she said. “So, it was a lot.”

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Allen says she hopes sharing her experience warns others of other possible dog breeder scams.

“No matter how bad you want something, no matter how real it looks, don’t give anybody money upfront until you’re in person with them and you see it.”

Oregon Dog Rescue is a local shelter in the metro area. The staff says there are easy ways to make sure a breeder or shelter is legitimate to avoid scams.

“We have an adoption contract, you want to make sure there’s recourse if it’s not a good fit for you,” said Lindsey Quinn. “You always want to make sure you’re not buying a dog sight unseen: make sure they (breeders/shelters) are reputable, they have a reputation, there’s good reviews to back up the business. "

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