In addition to a rise in coronavirus-related scams, the BBB is reporting an increase in so-called puppy scams, for which it received 371 reports in April. 

For comparison, the agency received 306 reports of such scams in the first three months of the year, combined.

“Because people are at home more now and looking for companionship, scam artists are taking advantage of that situation,” Bernas said.

Mokena resident Caroline Hanna and her daughter, Jillian, thought now would be the perfect time to get a puppy. 

“Everyone’s around because schools are closed and (classes) are done from home,” Caroline Hanna said. “We would basically have until August to train the puppy.”

In late April, Hanna’s daughter found someone selling Australian shepherd mix puppies on Craigslist, which Hanna said concerned her. But the seller was quick to respond to email and directed the pair to what Hanna says was a very professional looking website filled with blogs, testimonials and pictures of dogs. 

“Nothing at first glance made me think it was a fraud,” Hanna said. “I tried to take extra precautions because it was Craigslist.”

Hanna said she checked to see if the photos could have been stolen via Google (they didn’t appear to be), and researched the website via the search engine, which yielded no results. Hanna says she also checked the website with the BBB’s scam tracker, but nothing came up.

“I was feeling pretty good and was hopeful it wasn’t a scam,” Hanna said. “When it came time to give the deposit, I was still a little leery.”

But Hanna went ahead and paid the $250 deposit via the payment app Zelle. “Then there was silence,” Hanna said. Her daughter, who actually saved the money for the deposit, was upset, but has since started a new puppy search via animal shelters. (Hanna repaid her daughter the deposit, which they never got back from the seller.)

“My advice is if you have any doubts that it’s not real, don’t do it. I had doubts,” Hanna said.