You might want to paws before buying a bougie breed of dog over the internet.
A TikToker says she was scammed out of $1,000 by an online pooch peddler who claimed to be selling her a purebred French bulldog.
The content creator, who goes only by Crystal online, revealed the furry faux pas in a recently resurfaced TikTok clip, which has scored more than 48,000 views.
“POV: buying a puppy online and getting scammed out of $1,000,” she wrote on the video, adding that her “luck is so sh–ty.”
Crystal featured a screenshot of the pooch she believed she was purchasing — a light brown Frenchie, which would likely retail for far more than just $1,000.
According to subsequent videos online, the TikTokker instead received a black-colored French bulldog and pug mix named Hazel.
“I hope this person stubs their toe on their kitchen table,” she said of the lying breeder in the video’s caption.
However, viewers lacked empathy for Crystal, saying it was her own fault for falling for the scam.
“Who in their right mind would pay 1k for something online they don’t know is real?” one scoffed.
“A Frenchie for $1000 should have been your first red flag, unless that was a deposit,” another chastised.
The price of French bulldogs range from $1,500 to $8,000. The “comical, friendly, loving” breed has become one of the most popular pooches to own in the US.
While Crystal explained that she had contacted her bank to get her money back, she wasn’t sure she would be successful.
“People are always getting scammed like this with Frenchies but as a Frenchie owner don’t give up because they are the best dogs ever,” another viewer wrote.
In 2020, dog adoption scams ran amuck during the pandemic, as homebodies sought a furry companion during lockdown.
As adoption rates soared, so did scams, as criminals offered pups for sale that didn’t actually exist, resulting in eager adopters losing thousands of dollars.