| A new wrinkle on an old scam is currently appearing | | | | and help the animal. But once the funds are sent, no |
| on the Internet and in local newspapers throughout | | | | pets are shipped and the seller does not respond to |
| North America and is costing pet lovers hundreds of | | | | any additional correspondence. |
| dollars. Pet adoption notices are appearing in classified | | | | How to Avoid Pet Shipping Fraud |
| ads online and in print and when pet lovers respond to | | | | There are a number of red flags which should alert |
| the ads and wire money, no pets are shipped and the | | | | pet lovers to the nature of these scams, but their |
| victim usually loses anywhere from $100 to $1000 or | | | | judgment is often clouded by their fondness for |
| more. These scams are especially effective due to | | | | animals. To avoid becoming a victim, look for these |
| the almost universal appeal of pets and people's | | | | warning signs: |
| willingness to help others in a tough situation, but as the | | | | - Wiring Money to an Overseas Address-Usually the |
| old saying goes, 'Let the buyer beware.' | | | | scams involve sending money to Nigeria, Cameroon, or |
| How the Pet Shipping Scams Work | | | | another African country. |
| A pet lover sees an ad somewhere offering a pet for | | | | - Unusually Low Prices-Purebred breeds and |
| an unusually low price because the pet owner can no | | | | hard-to-find animals are usually offered at prices well |
| longer keep the pet due to the owner having moved | | | | below the market value. |
| to an African country where the climate is not suitable | | | | - Follow-Up Requests for More Money-Once a |
| to the pet's health. Other variations on this involve | | | | modest sum has been sent, victims usually receive a |
| financial hardship, an unexpected move for | | | | reply shortly thereafter requesting a larger amount of |
| employment, or that the pets' lives are in peril from | | | | money. |
| being abandoned. When these ads appear online, they | | | | - Refundable Pet Insurance-Short-term pet insurance |
| look like legitimate websites and feature pictures of the | | | | for over $1000 that will supposedly be refunded when |
| pet mentioned in the ad, increasing the likeliness of a | | | | the pet arrives is requested. |
| successful scam. | | | | If you have fallen victim to these scams, you're not |
| The pet lover responds to the ad and receives an | | | | alone. Hundreds of pet lovers have unwittingly become |
| email from a seemingly legitimate email address | | | | victims to pet shipping Internet fraud and the Council of |
| requesting a low sum of money, usually just over $100. | | | | Better Business Bureaus and American Kennel Club |
| Upon receipt of the money wire, the scammers | | | | have issued warnings about it. Other than reporting the |
| generally request additional money for pet shipping | | | | fraud to the authorities, there's little that can be done |
| insurance and customs processing costs. Because | | | | about recouping the money, but legitimate pet shipping |
| they have already wired money, victims are inclined to | | | | companies are doing their best to alert pet lovers from |
| send additional funds to hedge their initial investment | | | | becoming new victims. |