(Omaha, NE) – Officials with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Omaha, report several established Omaha-based companies have recently become victims of scammers who are exploiting their addresses to carry out fraudulent operations related to animal adoption and transportation. Midwest Puppy, LLC, Greater Omaha Express, LLC, and Greater Omaha Leasing, LLC, all of which are licensed and registered with the Nebraska Secretary of State, have had their addresses falsely associated with these fraudulent activities that cost consumers more than $16,000.

Following an investigation conducted by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), it was determined that Prime Chihuahua Dogs, Pet Wave Transport, and NG Pomeranian Puppies are scam companies deliberately deceiving unsuspecting consumers by misrepresenting their locations. BBB has received numerous complaints and Scam Tracker reports throughout 2023 concerning these fraudulent entities. The Nebraska Secretary of State has verified that neither Prime Chihuahua Dogs, NG Pomeranian Puppies, nor Pet Wave Transport are registered companies.

BBB has confirmed the legitimacy of Midwest Puppy LLC as a licensed dog breeder duly registered with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Secretary of State. The owner of Midwest Puppy LLC has been in contact with BBB, sharing instances where confused consumers have arrived at his residence, seeking dog breeds he does not offer. Some individuals have even shown up to collect puppies they had already paid for. Recognizing that his address is being fraudulently exploited by multiple entities, the owner has promptly reported the matter to the Attorney General’s office and local law enforcement.

Prime Chihuahua Dogs, which previously associated itself with the address of Midwest Puppy LLC, recently took down its website. However, shortly thereafter, a new website called NG Pomeranian emerged, fraudulently using the same address. Another company involved in these fraudulent activities is Pet Wave Transport, which falsely claims to operate from the address of Greater Omaha Express, LLC and Greater Omaha Leasing, LLC. Upon receiving inquiries from BBB, the president of these companies contacted BBB and categorically denied any association with Pet Wave Transport. He clarified that his businesses primarily handle dry and refrigerated shipments, and strongly suspects that someone is exploiting his address for fraudulent purposes.

Multiple consumers have come forward with disturbing experiences involving Prime Chihuahua Dogs and Pet Wave Transport. One consumer reported paying for two puppies from Prime Chihuahua Dogs, only to be subsequently contacted by Pet Wave Transport, requesting additional funds for a larger shipping crate. Despite complying with the requests, the consumer never received the promised puppies. Similar accounts have been shared by other consumers who made payments to both the dog breeder and Pet Wave Transport, yet received no puppies in return. Victims reported to BBB that they communicated with the scam companies via text message and email. When one consumer asked to contact the company by phone, the company stopped communicating with the person.

Investigations into these scam operations have revealed several significant red flags. Both websites, primechihuahua.dog and petwavetransport.com, were privately registered within the past two years, with the registrant contact information indicating a location in the Capital Region of Iceland. Notably, the websites exhibited numerous grammatical and punctuation errors and featured images of puppies for sale. Pet Wave Transport made false claims of being a member of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) and emphasized their commitment to revolutionizing pet transportation globally.

In the years since BBB issued an in-depth study, “Puppy Scams: How Fake Online Pet Sellers Steal from Unsuspecting Pet Buyers,” the fraudulent animal adoption industry has intensified. BBB urges caution to potential animal adopters and warns of the deceptive practices employed by these fraudulent entities.

BBB tips for researching puppy sellers:

·         See pets in person before paying any money.

·         Try to set up a video call to view the animal.

·         Conduct a reverse image search on photos attached to ads.

·         Research the breed to figure out the average market price.

·         Check out a local animal shelter for pets to meet in person before adopting.