Beware! Pet scams and what to watch out for.
Many people are wondering whether to bring a new pet member into the family. In November, the Better Business Bureau received close to 400 complaints from people about pet scams.
Scammers are notorious for preying on people who are vulnerable during natural disasters, the isolation of the pandemic has created the perfect environment for people looking to exploit those who are seeking comfort of a new pet. Often the nature of our social distancing creates an ideal situation to manipulate what might seem out of the ordinary – reason why you can’t see the puppy, using cash apps to transmit money, sending pictures of phantom pets and taking advantage of pandemic related insurance or security fees.
Things to be aware of when purchasing a new pet:
- Never send anyone money without having some form of contract or written agreement
- Never use Zelle or any cash app to transmit money, PayPal should also be used with caution
- There is no special insurance, import license to a city or special air conditioned kennels
- Scams will try and use legitimate reputable local city companies contact info
- Research should reveal that a company has no official Google Business Page listing
- Reputable breeders will have a history of selling pets to families and will have a long line of references
- Facebook and other social media platforms will have an interconnected tree of links to discern really breeders
- Air travel for live animals has many regulations to met and takes at least 5 – 10 days to completely organize
- Pets will never be able to be on the next plane in the morning
- Pets must have a vet exam within 10 days of the travel date – this is a USDA and airline rule
- Kennels should be purchased with care as all kennels are not airline approved even if they are labeled so
- Most of the time air travel for pets can be arranged DIY if you do research and have assistance in the departure city
- Be wary of conversations that happen only by text
- Never send money if a company has been organizing the purchase then request money sent to an individual
- Avoid situations in which money is requested right away
- Completely research those companies involved in your pets travel plans
Scammers often go to elaborate lengths to appear legitimate, advertising their dogs as being registered with the American Kennel Club to “entice” a customer, said Brandi Hunter, a spokeswoman for the club. If there remains any hint of a doubt, potential buyers could contact the AKC for verification as well as using Google’s image search function to see if a puppy appears on several websites.
