In a First, Google Goes After Puppy Fraud in Court

For Rael Raskovich, 28, the experience of being cheated by an online pet scheme was devastating.

About a year ago Ms. Raskovich, who works in the mortgage industry, had just moved to South Carolina and was hoping to buy her first puppy: a Golden Retriever.

She explored her options, ultimately filling out an online form, now defunct, that included detailed questions about her plans to care for the animal, she said, which led her to believe that the process was legitimate.

She wired a $700 deposit to the seller, who sent her a video of what she thought was her soon-to-be puppy. She bought toys and a dog bed.

Then, she said, the seller claimed to need an additional $1,300 for a coronavirus vaccination for the dog and an air-conditioned shipping crate. Ms. Raskovich said she was told to expect a call from Delta Air Lines, which the seller claimed would be transporting the animal — but when she called to confirm, the airline told her it does not ship animals.

“Then I was like, ‘OK, this definitely isn’t legitimate,’” she said, adding that she cut off communication. The identity of the seller was never determined.

“You get ready for this new addition in your life,” Ms. Raskovich said. “It sucks.”

Kirsten Noyes contributed reporting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/12/business/google-lawsuit-puppy-fraud-scheme.html