Emily Walker
Pet scammers have been running their operations for a long time, and unfortunately, there are so many victims that have lost their money to the scammers. The bad news is the pet scammer statistics keep increasing every year, especially during pandemics.
It is ironic to see people lose their money to the scammers, as it seems like the pet scammers are using the opportunity to play with the animal lover’s emotion and take their money with the pet that never existed.
If you decide to buy a pet and bring it into your household, make sure you know how to track down the scammer, so you won’t end up losing your money.
FAQ
Most pet scammer operations are done online since it is the easy way to send cute puppy images with no direct meeting. And also online animal sales haven’t been regulated yet.
There are 4,500 pet scammer cases in 2020. Though as predicted it might decrease in 2021, but it doesn’t mean there won’t be any pet scam operations in the future.
There are many common signs for pet scam operations. Mostly their offer is “good to be true” and you can confirm their identity and the pet directly only online.
The key here is to educate yourself about the pet scam operations so you won’t end up becoming their victim and losing your money.
Once you know the pet scammers’ tactics, you’ll notice whether the pet seller or pet breeder is legit or fake and can easily track them down.
How to track down a pet scammer?
Before you decide to adopt or buy a pet from a breeder or seller online, make sure you’ve done your research about the seller. And here are some ways to track down if the seller is legit or a fake.
Check their website on whois
If you haven’t heard about whois before, it is a domain lookup that allows you to trace the ownership and tenure of a domain name.
If you are looking for a pet breeder and encounter a website that sells a pet you want, make sure to check their domain on whois, and you’ll know who is the owner of the website.
Most scammers are using fake email to register their domain, it’s not like a legit seller.
Check their social media
Most scammers are using fake social media profiles since they don’t want you to know their true identity. It’s easy to create a social media account, all you need is a phone number or email to register and a fake image.
And today it is easy to create a fake email and generate a fake image.
And most fake social media profiles have common similarities, such as:
- So little / never post anything
- Profile has been created in the last 6 months
- Posting similar contents or images in a short amount of time
- Only have a single image
- No friends or have lots of friends from all over the world
- No detail information about him/herself
So, if someone contacted you and offered you a pet through social media, while their profile has similarities to the signs above, you need to be careful since it’s probably a scammer.
Search for “Their business” Scam Reviews online
The most common way to check if the seller or breeder is legit is by writing down their name or their business name scam reviews online on google. You will find lots of information about the seller and their reviews.
But the problem sometimes, if the website or profile is new you can’t find anything since there is no review yet.
Right click on images (Search Google For Images)
Most pet scammers are using images that they took from the internet since there are lots of cute pet images on the internet. Cute pet images will grab you by the heart strings!
You can check on the image they send, right click on the image and search google for images.
Conclusion
The pet scammers not only can play your heart with a pet you love but also drain your bank account once you agree to deal with them. Before you purchase your new puppy, you should learn how to buy a puppy online.
Never let your guard down when you are attached to a pet that is sold on the internet. The pet scam industry is no joke, it has increased every year and so many people have become victims.