Is it a scam if a puppy breeder wants the balance paid in cash to a “transporter”?

Strong red flag. Fake transporters are the #1 puppy-scam add-on — after the deposit, a “shipping company” appears with crates, insurance, and cash balances that never end, because there is no puppy and no transporter. Independently find and call the transport company yourself, check its USDOT registration, and reverse-image-search the puppy photos before another dollar moves.

Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.