A Northfield, Ohio woman is in the Mahoning County jail after Canfield Police “doggedly” pursued an investigation into how a local woman lost $200 in an alleged online puppy sale scam.

According to police, a 50-year-old Canfield woman went to the police department on May 1 to report that she had put down a $200 deposit to buy a dog listed in an ad on the website puppies.com.

The woman said the “seller” canceled their meeting on the day the buyer was to go to Akron to see the dog.

Investigating further, the would-be buyer found that the Akron address didn’t match the name of the purported seller on the county auditor’s website.  Additionally, the video of the dogs associated with the ad was the same as a video found on YouTube.

When questioned, the “seller” never responded and blocked the Canfield woman’s number.

Police investigators subpoenaed records of online payment services, records from puppies.com, and the i.p. address of the “seller”, finding that the suspect had posted advertisements selling rottweilers for $800 and German Shepherd puppies for $1,000.

An officer traced the information back to 28-year-old Asia Wilcox, with an address in Northfield, Ohio.

In mid-May, the officer went to the Northfield address. The man living at the apartment told police he had dated Wilcox, but she didn’t live there, and he had no idea where she lived.

In early June, Canfield Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Wilcox on charges of theft and telecommunications fraud.

Wilcox was arrested in Northfield on Friday and brought back to the jail where she awaits a hearing in Canfield Court on Tuesday.

According to the Better Business Bureau, nearly 10,000 scam reports and complaints have come in during the last three years about “businesses” selling puppies and dogs. The FTC estimates that only about 10 percent of victims report these crimes, so this number could be much higher.

The American Kennel Club offers Red Flags to watch for to avoid becoming a victim:

• No phone calls. The seller prefers to handle communication by email and not the phone. A reputable breeder will always communicate with you via phone or video chat (if not in person) before selling you a puppy. Fraudulent sellers are oftentimes outside of the U.S. and may be hiding their phone number by only communicating by email.
• Copycat or stock photos. Photos of the dog or ad text can be found on multiple websites. Search for the text in the listing to see if the seller copied and pasted it from another site.
• Sketchy payment. The seller asks for wiring of money or payment by gift cards. Be aware that if you choose a non-secure method of payment, it is highly unlikely that you will get your money back. Avoid paying a stranger using apps such as Venmo, as it is harder to get your money back if you don’t get what you paid for. Paying by credit card or PayPal are typically the safest options.
• Price is too good to be true. Research the prices for the breed you are considering ahead of time. Purebred dogs sold at deeply discounted prices are typically frauds. If the seller says they register their dogs with a specific organization, you can call the organization to confirm.
• Breeder “badges.” AKC does not distribute badges to breeders.