Fraud Expert Phil Swan joins It Takes 2 to talk about some of the ongoing “pet scams” happening online.
Read more about what to look for – what to expect from the seller – and who to contact if you’ve been a victim…
BEWARE when buying a pet online
From the BBB:
Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota has seen a rise in this type of scam in
recent weeks, with several consumers reporting similar experiences: they find an irresistibly
adorable pet for sale online and wire money to the seller, who is tasked with shipping the pet to
them, but instead the seller pockets the cash and is never heard from again.One 14-year-old girl from Arkansas had been saving money to purchase herself a puppy and,
with help from her dad, wired funds to Best Golden Doodle Family Pubs claiming to be in Edina,
Minn., only to never receive the puppy. Another woman reported losing $900 to the same fake
company, which uses a phony website (goldendoodlepuppies.us) to make sales.The website further tries to trick consumers by showcasing an American Kennel Club (AKC) logo
and claiming to be “certified” with the AKC. According to the AKC, the club does not certify
breeders or sellers. Rather, breeders register their litters with the club, and golden doodles are
not a registrable breed.Not only are scammers trying to finagle money from consumers for the cost of the pet, but some
have successfully convinced buyers to pay exorbitant shipping or insurance costs on top of the
purchase price.One woman in Minnesota was told she would need to pay an additional $960 for
a special dog crate – a cost that would supposedly be refunded after the dog’s flight.Unfortunately, that crate fee will never be refunded, and no pet will ever arrive. According to the
Minnesota Board of Animal Health, specialty crates aren’t required for animals to fly unless it’s
subzero or inclement weather conditions; under normal circumstances, a run of the mill carrying
crate will suffice.The best way to avoid this scam is to only buy pets after meeting the animal, and the breeder or
owner, face-to-face. It’s easy to let emotions and instant gratification take over when it comes
to puppies and other adorable pets, but if consumers want to become pet parents and not scam
victims, restraint is necessary.
To avoid this scam, BBB offers this advice:
Don’t trust everything a website claims. Call the AKC’s customer service line at 919-
233-9767 to verify a litter if the owner claims to be associated with the club, or search the
club’s site at akc.org.
Don’t ever wire money. A request to wire money is a huge red flag that the transaction
is a scam. Wire transfers don’t offer consumer protection in the same way a credit card
company can.
Beware of websites or ads with spelling errors. Spelling errors and incorrect
grammar are usually signs of a scam as many scams originate overseas where English is
not the scammer’s first language.
If the price is too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Always be skeptical of sob
stories or other justifications for a low price on a pet, especially if the animal is purebred.
These offers sound good, but it’s often a bait and switch tactic, where the scammer
requests more money later.
Make sure you have a written contract. No matter where you purchase a pet from, be
sure you have the terms, conditions and guarantees in writing.
Get two references. Breeders work for you, and you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for
references. Ask clients if they were happy with their experience and if any problems arose
from the transaction.
If you’ve been a victim of a pet scam, you can:
File a report with BBB’s Scam Tracker
Complain at Petscams.com
Complain to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP
Listen to “Fargo’s Fraud Squad” the first Monday of each month at 11:10am during It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ.
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(Amy Iler & JJ Gordon are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Check out the show page on
FACEBOOK.
Follow Amy on Twitter
@AmyKFGO
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