Animal adoptions increased significantly during the pandemic and are commonplace throughout the holiday season. Unfortunately, that elevated interest has coincided with an increase in fraud.
A 2017 Better Business Bureau study, “Puppy Scams: How Fake Online Pet Sellers Steal from Unsuspecting Pet Buyers,” uncovered that fraud in the sale of online pets was on the rise. Pet scams account for more than a third of all reports to BBB Scam Tracker. This month, BBB projected that nationwide losses are expected to approach $2 million in 2022. Average monetary losses have spiked 60% since 2017, with the average report involving an $850 loss.
In most incidents, a victim searching for a pet online will be directed to a website that appears legitimate. The site will offer a purebred dog for an unreasonably low price. Once a purchase is initiated, the seller will request payment through a peer-to-peer payment method or an avenue not backed by fraud protection.
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If a buyer attempts to stop the transaction, the scammer will threaten legal action. By incorporating fake emails and shipping numbers, the scammer will try to legitimize the process to confuse victims.
BBB has received dozens of…
