TL;DR: Pet owners act quickly and emotionally when a pet's safety is at stake. Meet pets and sellers in person before paying, use reputable and reviewed breeders or shelters, and never send money to a stranger claiming to have found your pet.
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Pet owners act quickly and emotionally when a pet's safety is at stake.
Common Tactics Used
Fake online pet sellers demand payment for a pet that doesn't exist, and 'finders' of a lost pet demand a reward or shipping fee before returning an animal they never had.
How to Protect Against It
Meet pets and sellers in person before paying, use reputable and reviewed breeders or shelters, and never send money to a stranger claiming to have found your pet.
What Family and Friends Can Do
Sudden secrecy about money, unusual withdrawals, or a new online relationship that stays undisclosed are all worth a calm, judgment-free conversation. The earlier a scam is caught, the more can usually be recovered.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading Scams Targeting Real Estate Agents.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Scams Targeting Recent College Graduates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they specifically targeted?
Pet owners act quickly and emotionally when a pet's safety is at stake.
What tactics do scammers use?
Fake online pet sellers demand payment for a pet that doesn't exist, and 'finders' of a lost pet demand a reward or shipping fee before returning an animal they never had.
How can they protect themselves?
Meet pets and sellers in person before paying, use reputable and reviewed breeders or shelters, and never send money to a stranger claiming to have found your pet.
What should family or friends watch for?
Sudden secrecy about money or new online relationships, unusual withdrawals or wire transfers, and reluctance to discuss a new "opportunity" or contact in detail are all worth a gentle, non-judgmental conversation.
What should I do if I think this has already happened?
Stop all contact and payments immediately, report it to the appropriate authority, and contact the bank or payment provider involved to see what can be recovered.