Animal adoption scams – how to spot and avoid them

Cute puppy, right? But did you know that cute face could be the lure to pull you into a scam? Animal adoption scams have become big business in the wake of Covid-19. Learn how to spot them and how to avoid them.

Animal adoption scams are proliferating

A recent report by the US Surgeon General says that loneliness in the United States is at epidemic levels. As part of that trend, many people might be considering trading difficult human interactions for something simpler—a pet. There are literally millions of pet adoptions each year. With numbers like that, is it any wonder scammers are targeting people who are willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a new furry friend?

Signs of a scam

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, there are three key signs to one of these scams. 

• The person offering the animal for adoption doesn’t provide a lot of information about the animal. For instance, you’re interested in an adorable puppy, but the seller only provides vague statements about the puppy’s health or behavior. 
• The seller seems less interested in how you’ll take care of the puppy than your financial details. Think of it this way. If you were finding a new home for your pet, wouldn’t you want to know all about the new owner?
• The photo is too darned cute. Scammers are pros at finding awesome photos—something that will tug at your heartstrings. The photo I’ve used in this post is from Wikimedia. It’s being used on more than a dozen websites. 

How to avoid animal adoption scams 

Tip #1: Insist on meeting your new furry friend. This will not only give you the opportunity to see if you and your potential adoptee are compatible, but will also eliminate the possibility of you paying money for a nonexistent or unhealthy animal. 

Tip #2: Do a reverse image search for the photo. Go to https://images.google.com and click the little camera icon in the search bar. There are three ways to upload the photo—dragging in a copy, uploading a file, or providing a URL.

Tip #3: Do not pay in cash, with a money order, or with gift cards. Those forms of payment are untraceable and provide you with no recourse. Also, watch out for suspicious adoption fees, i.e., an unreasonable adoption fee, additional charges, or last-minute changes to the agreed-upon amount

Animal adoption scams aren’t much different from other types of scams. The scammer will use a ticking clock to create pressure and force the transaction to go through sooner. The difficulty could be the need to walk away from an adorable pet, but a suspicious seller.

Did you see last month’s scam tip? You can find it at New in 2023, the Walmart self-checkout scam. Click here to view more Friday Morning Post entries, or you can follow me on Twitter.