Recently there was a post on my town’s Facebook page that made me cringe. A distressed dog owner had come to the page to warn others about how she was the target of a scam. Her dog had run away and after her family put up many signs around the neighborhood, she received a call from someone claiming to be an animal rescuer who had found the dog on the road after being hit by a car and had taken him to the vet. This “rescuer” then claimed that the vet needed $800 for the life-saving surgery.
Thinking every minute that passed lessened the chances of her beloved pet’s survival, the distraught owner instantly sent the money. When she arrived, she met with a confused receptionist who told her nobody had brought in a critically injured dog.
If you’ve ever been the owner of a particularly rowdy, anxious or mischievous dog or cat, and they accidentally get loose, it’s a nightmare. That scammers are now exploiting that feeling of desperation to make a quick buck is sickening.
They’ve been known to pose as animal control officers, demanding payment for nonexistent injuries before “releasing” a pet back to its owner. Others lurk in missing pet groups on social media, posting fake stories about finding a hurt animal and taking them to a vet, only to pressure devastated pet owners into sending money. Some even go as far as setting up fraudulent businesses claiming to be experts at finding lost animals, preying on people’s hope while delivering nothing but heartbreak.
This type of swindle is new, but fraudsters have been targeting current or potential pet-owners in other ways for years.
The Better Business Bureau estimates that 80 percent of sponsored search links for pet adoptions may be fraudulent, advertising animals who don’t exist. Most victims lose between $100 and $1000. But some have lost more. In one case, a victim lost $5,000.
The surge in pet adoption scams began in 2020, when scammers exploited pandemic-related restrictions to avoid in-person meetings. They claimed that social distancing rules prevented prospective buyers from seeing a puppy before purchase yet still demanded a deposit to “hold” the animal until it was old enough to ship. Some of these criminals spun elaborate tales about being healthcare workers relocated to another state due to COVID to dodge face-to-face interactions.
With swindlers creating fake rescue profiles, or even impersonating real ones, it’s essential to protect yourself.
Legitimate rescues will always allow potential adopters to meet an animal before committing.
If someone pressures you into using a money transfer (such as Western Union or MoneyGram), gift card or prepaid debit card, it’s a major red flag.
Most reputable rescues operate as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, meaning they have an IRS-recognized tax-exempt status with a searchable employer identification number (EIN). While not all rescues have this designation, it’s a helpful sign of credibility.
You can check a rescue’s emails and websites against lists of suspected scammers maintained by PetScams (petscams.com) and the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association, a trade group for companies that ship animals.
Another trick that may help to avoid fraud. Pet marketing usually begins with photos, and an internet search of these photos will reveal whether they are exclusive to that site or have been used on other sites.
How do you do this? On Google Chrome, simply place a cursor over the photo and right click. It will provide an option to do an internet search for the photo. A website called tineye.com will also search pictures, and Google has an image search function at Google images.
In addition, someone investigating fraud can copy text from an ad or website and search it online. Testimonials, for example, are often copied from the sites of real rescues. So, if the same language shows up in several places you can be sure you are dealing with fraud.
Con artists take advantage of people’s emotions. Awareness is the best defense against these heartbreaking scams.
Meg Hennessy is digital content editor at Friends of Animals.