Most people adore pets so much that they start treating them as their family members. Lonely people prefer the company of pets to comfort them in their solitude. The world is now a global village.

It is easy to buy and sell anything online, bringing forth, new advancements and benefitting humans, but it is well said, that everything has its shortcomings, and cyber crimes are one of the main concerns of the concerned authority.

Internet scams haven’t even spared innocent people. These pert dupes have taken the internet by storm, as most people are beguiled this way. Beware of ads on the internet that are too good to be true!

Many frauds are being carried out on the internet concerning pets. The crooks take advantage of people’s love for animals to scam their victims. These scams not only affect classified ads sites but also social networks. Dog scams are very common but they concern all types of animals: cats, dogs, horses, birds, fishes, etc.

Beware Of Online Dog Scams- Don’t Be Fooled

The method is simple: the advertisements offer the sale of a purebred dog or a purebred cat at unbeatable prices. A donation can also be asked while the transport costs are a pet owner’s responsibility. Once the fees are paid no news from the owners and the animals ever arrive!

The scammers use touching photos to deceive victims sensitive to the charms of four-legged friends. The reasons for the sale or the donation are often the same: an urgent transfer abroad that requires taking care of the animal, or that its owners no longer have time to take care of it.

Once the sums have been paid by the victims, the scammers do not hesitate again to ask for additional customs fees. Also, scammers use fake animal transport agencies to send money to.

The company that manages the National Identification File for Domestic Carnivorous Animals warns of these scammers, who “take advantage of the plight of those who lost their animals to extort money from them. “Pet owners must be careful “, warned by them in a statement. The I-CAD lists between 50 to 100 victims of these scams at the end of the summer.

Scamming Techniques

The technique of these crooks who “take advantage of poor people, who need the company of a reliable friend during quarantine period to extort money from them”, is simple: they first hack social network sites and then obtain the contact details of the owners in need of furry friends, therefore contacting them, telling them that they want to make them a so-called would-be pet owner and want to sell them a purebred animal.

Then they dupe the pet owners that such animals would be transported to them in exchange for a certain amount of money. Some do not even hesitate to extort custom fees from duped pet owners. Most would-be pet owners are faked by these scammers, and have spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on their would-be pet, that never shows-up !!! 

Registered and trusted pet shipping companies will never ask you for payment for the shipment of an animal without first gaining your trust, moreover, payment is also never requested by a third party. These scams on the web are frequent, vigilance is essential!

Statistics

If you are looking for a new furry member for your family on the internet, you are likely to find a scam. A 2017 study by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) ​​estimated that at least 80% of sponsored search links for pet sales could be fraudulent, with the advertising of such animals that the alleged sellers do not have. 

Experts believe that the main perpetrators of animal scams are criminal gangs operating in West African countries, but they are spread throughout the world. Sometimes malefactors pose as breeders and create tricky websites full of stolen photos of puppies featuring popular breeds at huge discounts.

Or they run ads on social media or online markets, such as Craigslist, posing as pet owners who have been forced due to financial or personal circumstances to give up their loved kitten or puppy for free adoption to a family loving willing to cover shipping costs.

If you answer, they will ask you questions about your home and your experience with pets, but the only question that interests them is whether you will transfer the payment to them.

You will be referred to the website of a transport company (fake, too) to track the progress of your non-existent pet, which will undoubtedly be delayed by using tricks to get more money, such as for insurance or a special travel cage.

Scammers Bet

Scam artists bet that emotional attachment of would-be pet owners, with their so-called pet, helps them at making thousands of dollars. Thus, they invest in your emotions.

If you start getting suspicious, they may resort to threats: they will either claim that the animal will die or accuse you of animal abandonment (which is a true crime but does not apply in situations like these).

Do not fall into the trap. When looking for your four-legged friend, go to a reputable local breeder, shelter, or a rescue organization and always contact a trusted pet shipper, who will ship your friend to you, either locally or internationally.

How To Spot Pet Scammers 

Here are some tips:

· A fake pet owner will be most interested in payment.

· They will avoid making video calls to show you the pet.

· Making fake excuses that they want to give up their pet for donations.

· The sale price of the dog or cat is well below what a popular breed would normally cost.

· The person offering the animal insists on sending it and declines offers to collect the pet in person.

· The emails of the seller and the transport company have grammatical and spelling mistakes.

· Seller requires payment to be made by transfer (via Western Union or MoneyGram, for example), gift card, or prepaid debit card.

· Shipping is delayed on-demand that you send them more money, for example, for insurance, pet food, veterinary care, or for a special cage.

Scamming During COVID-19 Quarantine 

Such shakedown is at its peak, because people want to eliminate their desolation in the form of pets, and these scammers take advantage of it, sending adorable photos of your “never -going to -come “, pets.

How Can A Pet Shipper Help You

As the name suggests, their prime duty is to take care of your pet and to relocate it to you safely and soundly. the want to make a fool out of you and would do their best to take care of your pets, hence changing your furry friend’s status from would-be to actual pets.

They will arrange video calls, and will not even hesitate for an in-person meeting. So feel safe, and contact them now for any queries, as they may un-riddle your problems.