ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Bringing home a new furry friend is a big decision to make and can be an expensive one, especially if you’re not careful about scammers.

The local Better Business Bureau is warning about a scam affecting New Mexicans.

“Sometimes it’s just when your emotions get involved, you don’t do the due diligence that you normally do,” said David Swope, the president of the Better Business Bureau of New Mexico.

Most of the scams come in the form of an online ad or a social media post made on a pet rehoming page. They suck you in with adorable pictures.

Then, they start asking you for money.

“It’s affecting people of all ages, mainly in their 20s and 30s. You do see a lot of retired people that also have the issues. But you’re also looking at an average loss of between $100 and $1,000,” Swope said.

So far, seven New Mexicans reported getting scammed. One person from Albuquerque said she lost close to $11,000 total.

Ramonda Melton said she went on the website “Noble Teacup Yorkie Home” for two Yorkie pups. She sent thousands of dollars to cover what the scammer said were “transportation costs.”

Days later, Melton realized she was handing her money away to scammers.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

“You really should only buy a pet when you’ve actually seen it in person. And it’s a personal transaction,” Swope emphasized.

If you can’t see them in person, do a reverse image search of the picture of the pet you’re considering. If it appears on multiple websites, it’s probably fake.

You can always report scams on the BBB Scam Tracker.