With the rising demand for pets during the COVID-19 pandemic, pet scams have dramatically increased, with most of those searching online for a pet likely to encounter a scammer, the Better Business Bureau said.
The BBB advised extreme caution when shopping for a pet online, especially in light of scammers’ evolving tactics.
BBB Scam Tracker saw a spike in pet fraud reports beginning in the spring, in both the U.S. and Canada. Data from BBB Scam Tracker shows more reports about fraudulent pet websites in April than in the first three months of the year combined, a trned that increased through the year and into the holiday season. The median loss reported to Scam Tracker in 2020 is $750. Those aged 35 to 55 accounted for half of BBB reports in 2020.
Law enforcement and consumer advocates now say a person searching online for a new pet is extremely likely to encounter a scam listing or website.
Scam Tracker reports show that many fraudsters tell would-be pet owners they cannot meet the animals before sending money. Petscams.com, which tracks and exposes these scams, recommends using video conferencing to meet the animal and owner before buying as a way of reducing scam vulnerability.
“COVID-19 has made for a long and uncertain year, and a ‘quarantine puppy’ or other pet has proven to be a comfort for many people, but it also has created fertile ground for fraudsters,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “People currently shopping for pets online are prime targets for fraudsters trolling the internet looking for want-to-be pet owners. Knowing the red flags associated with this scam can help consumers avoid heartache and losing their money.”
Pet scams reported to BBB are nearly five times as many as in 2017, when BBB published its first in-depth study on pet scams. The projected dollar loss from pet scams is expected to top $3 million, more than six times the total losses reported in 2017.
Scam Tracker data indicates that mobile payment apps like Zelle and CashApp are often used now, whereas Western Union or MoneyGram wire transfers were popular before. They also have victims buy gift cards, asking for photos of the front and back of the cards — something a consumer should never do when asked. It’s a sure sign of a scam.
In addition, pet scammers now commonly use online advertising tools such as sponsored links to boost their fraudulent listings in search results.
Some pet scammers use fraudulent online forms to collect credit card information. Since the scammers do not have legitimate arrangements to process credit cards, victims may get an error message that the card was declined. Scammers then direct the buyer to send money a different way. But now the scammers have stolen the credit card number, and use the stolen cards to pay for domain names of websites and otherwise fund scam activities. Pet buyers using a credit card must monitor their credit card statements carefully.
Fraudsters have also made COVID-19-related money requests for items such as special climate-controlled crates, insurance and a (non-existent) COVID-19 vaccine.
While puppies remain the most common bait, 12 percent of pet scam complaints to BBB were about kittens or cats. The FTC also received 185 reports of parrots being ordered but not delivered during the first half of 2020. Fraudulent listings for Yorkshire terriers and French bulldogs are particularly pervasive.
TIPS TO AVOID SCAMS
BBB recommendations for buying pets online:
* See the pet in person before paying. Consider a video call to see the seller and the actual pet for sale. Since scammers are not likely to comply with the request, this may help avoid a scam.
* Do a reverse image search of the photo of the pet and search for a distinctive phrase in the description.
* Do research to get a sense of a fair price for the breed you are considering. Think twice if someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price. It could be a fraudulent offer.
* Check out a local animal shelter online for pets you can meet before adopting.
* Never buy a gift card at the request of an uknown person. Never send photos of the front and back of a gift card to anyone.
* Petscams.com lists companies and URLs associated with scams. Check it out before sending someone money.
TO REPORT A SCAM
Victims of pet scams should contact:
Petscams.com – petscams.com/report-pet-scam-websites tracks complaints, catalogues puppy scammers and endeavors to get fraudulent pet sales websites taken down.
Federal Trade Commission — reportfraud.ftc.gov to file a complaint online or call 877-FTC-Help.
Better Business Bureau — BBB Scam Tracker to report a scam online.
Canadian Antifraud Centre — antifraudcentre-centreantifraude (in both English and French) or call 1-888-495-8501 for scams involving Canada.
The credit card issuer — for those who provided your credit card number, even if the transaction was not completed.
VICTIMS OF SCAMS TELL THEIR STORIES
A Wichita, Kansas, man reported to BBB in April 2020 that he used Zelle to pay $940 for a French bulldog puppy from scammers who used a bogus, but legitimate looking, website to handle shipping for the puppy that never arrived.
In July, a Fairfield, Calif., woman told BBB she had attempted to buy a Yorkshire terrier puppy from an online seller who would accept payment only via mobile apps or gift cards. As instructed, she initially paid $600 for the puppy by buying a pair of $300 Vanilla cards and sending photos of the front and back to the seller. Two days later, she was asked to use the same method to pay another $750 for “reimbursable pet insurance.” When she was asked the next day to similarly pay $850 for a “regulated crate,” she told the seller she had exhausted her funds and no longer wanted to proceed with the purchase. The woman told BBB the seller promised to refund her by gift card, but did not and never contacted her again.
In August, a Seneca, Ill. man reported to BBB that he believed the dachshund puppy he paid $700 for through Zelle was on its way to him when scammers asked for more money to be wired for a special climate-controlled crate. The wire request raised a red flag for the man, but he said he mistakenly believed the Zelle payment was protected. The fraudulent sellers cut off communication with him, and he lost the $700.
A Centralia, Ill., woman told BBB in April that she paid $750 for a corgi puppy she found online as a surprise for her husband’s birthday. She said the Texas-based seller sent her pictures and a video of the puppy, but after she sent the money via Zelle, the seller stopped responding to her contact attempts. The woman subsequently learned the seller was using another person’s photos to promise the puppy to multiple buyers, with a similar outcome in each case.
“It’s so sad that such rude and dishonest people are out there taking advantage of innocent, trusting people,” the woman told BBB.
A Coppell, Texas, woman shared a similar story with BBB in May, paying $1,050 via Zelle for an English bulldog that never arrived. She said the seller provided photos, paperwork and a profile of the dog, as well as purported shipment tracking information from a site that turned out to be fraudulent.
