Kim’s Catch: Pet Scams

Here’s the catch:  You see an advertisement for a free pet. The only cost is to have it delivered. You respond to the ad and are asked to send payment by wire transfer, gift card, or reload pack. Once you send the money in anticipation of your new furry friend, you are then told extra fees are needed to cover medical necessities, crating, insurance, or some other obligation. You are prompted to send more money to get your pet. In the end, you wind up with nothing but empty promises, no pet, and no way to get back your money.

Sadly, this is the story of people who have been conned in pet scams. Most of these schemes are posted on free websites like Craigslist or on social media pages such as Facebook. One important red flag to look for is the no cost except shipping offer. A consumer who fell for one of these scams explained she sent $450 by Western Union to cover shipping of a horse. Soon after sending the $450, she was contacted to pay an additional $1,000 for “insurance” and still another $1,000 for a permit to have the horse delivered. Despite paying the money, no horse was ever delivered and getting a refund has proven impossible.

Still another hopeful pet owner paid $450 to receive a pug puppy. After the breeder tried to squeeze another $1,400 for crating the puppy for delivery, the buyer got wary and didn’t send the $1,400. The consumer was heartbroken not to receive the puppy and the $450 was lost as well.

Kim’s Advice:  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Pet scams are becoming more and more common. Before you decide to purchase a pet online, do your research. Here are a few tips to consider:

• Google search the advertisers email address and phone number to see if any information shows up that would alert you to a scam.
• Ask to pick up the animal yourself. If there is hesitation or refusal to allow you to do so, look elsewhere, it’s more than likely a scam.
• Don’t make any payment by wire transfer, gift card, reload card or similar methods. There is little to no recourse if things go sour.
• If the pet will be shipped, compare the shipping price to that of other shippers. If the amount is extremely low, use caution.
• Ask for the name and contact information of the shipper and verify that it is a real shipper.
• Ask the seller questions, such as:
  1. Where is the seller located?
  2. What veterinarian was used for vaccinations and other required documents.
  3. What type of payment is accepted?

Be vocal if you have been scammed by a pet scam. File a complaint with Business Consumer Alliance with as much information as possible. This will alert other potential victims. Also, contact the publisher where you saw the ad to inform them of the scam in hopes that the ad can be removed immediately. Depending on the method and whether or not payment was sent, you may be able to contact your financial institution to stop payment. If you find similar ads on other sites, contact them also and share your experience.