Online Pet Adoption Scams

Then they re roped into a pricey delivery.

Online pet adoption scams. Animals are offered up for adoption at no cost all you have to do is pay for the shipping. Here s how the scam works. Here s how the scam often works. Scammers have been around since the dawn of time taking advantage of trusting individuals to get what they want.

You see a puppy or kitten for sale on the internet and. A scammer on craig s list facebook or e bay is selling a purebred puppy or kitten often for free or at a deeply discounted price for the breed. The staff at embrace has even been pulled into a pet adoption scam. First a shopper comes across the fraudulent website either through a web search an online marketplace like craigslist or pet find or social media.

Pet scam criminals often use free websites craig s list local newspapers or facebook to advertise pets that do not exist. Bbb scamtracker contains 907 reports on this type of fraud which is 12 5 of all their complaints involving online purchase fraud. Please use the search function to search all reported websites. Expensive animals like bulldogs or toy breeds are offered at very low prices.

An internal report the federal trade commission prepared in 2015. The best way to avoid being scammed by those who are selling pets online is to educate yourself on the warning signs of a typical online pet scam. In the age of the internet scamming has taken on a whole new and more dangerous identity. With online scams on the rise please be aware of the many different types of pet scams.

Do consider adopting from a local shelter or rescue group instead of buying a pet online. Fraudsters are going after future pet owners by placing a false ad for pets online then scamming them into more money after they are emotionally invested in the cuddly ball of fuzz. It also explains how the scam works. Many times users are lured in by a cute puppy or other pet for sale only to find out that they have been scammed out of their money.

Puppy scammer list 2020. You can look up adoptable animals near you at petfinder and the shelter pet project. We aim to publish a list of the latest puppy scammer websites.