According to the Better Business Bureau’s BBB Scam Tracker, one of the most common pet scams occurs when purchasing an animal online. These scams occur like many other online scams, by scammers enticing buyers to go to their websites using social media ads, emails, texts or by online search. Scammers pose as breeders and pretend to sell you the pet of your dreams. Once you’ve decided on the pet you would like to purchase, scammers ask for your credit card information and tell you your card isn’t working or hasn’t gone through. They save this information to use at a later date. Once they’ve gotten you to move to an unsecure payment method (Zelle, PayPal or gift cards), they’ll ask for additional charges regarding pet insurance, vet bills or travel fees. The scammers end up with your credit card information and payments for the additional fees they asked for. You end up out your money and without the pet you were promised.
The BBB offers these tips for avoiding pet scams…
● Do your research. Only purchase from reputable retailers. Consider shopping from local businesses.
● Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. If an in-person meeting isn’t possible, request a video call to see the facility and meet the breeder and animal.
● Do a reverse image search with a photo of the pet you’re considering. If the same image appears on multiple websites, it’s most likely a scam. You can also do this with text and descriptions to see if the seller copied it from another website.
● Always use trustworthy payment methods. If a seller is asking you to wire money or use a gift card, it’s a red flag. Use a credit card when possible for added fraud protection.
● Ask your local shelter about the animals they have available before purchasing online. Many shelters have a variety of pets available for adoption and would be happy to work with you. Shelter costs are usually a fraction of the cost of breeders.
● Compare prices among multiple websites and ensure you’re paying a fair price. Beware of extremely low prices as this could be the sign of a scam.
● Be wary of additional fees. Breeders asking for payments for vaccines or insurance may be trying to scam you.
● Ensure the breeder is affiliated with the local and national breed clubs and a kennel clubs, such as the American Kennel Club. Beware of sellers who are located out of town or overseas.
● Look for a breeder who’s interested in you and inquiring about if the animal is going to a good home.
● Keep all contact and communications you have with the breeder.
● Verify contact information. Review the company’s website for a physical address and phone number. Ensure addresses listed are legitimate and all phone numbers and customer service lines are working.
● Ensure your online purchases are secure. Look for the “HTTPS” in the URL (the extra s is for “secure”) and a small lock icon on the address bar. Better yet, before shopping on the website, make certain you are on the site you intended to visit.
● Read all return and refund policies.
● Arrange safe transport of your new pet if you’re not picking it up. However, don’t fall for scammers’ attempts to charge extra fees for travel.
The BBB can help. Visit BBB.org for a list of BBB Accredited Businesses in the industry and Business Profiles for companies you’re interested in. Visit BBB.org/ScamTracker or the Federal Trade Commission to report a pet scam.
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