Pet Scams: How Not to Become a Victim
If you have ever loved — and then lost — a pet, you know how devastating the experience can be. If you are then a victim of pet scams, the loss is even more devastating.
There are unscrupulous people who have found ways to capitalize on your lost pet situation in order to dupe you out of money. Here are a few of the ways this can happen:
Pet Scam #1. If you have placed an ad in a local paper about your lost pet, and particularly if you offered a reward, you may get a call from someone claiming to have found your pet.
The caller wants the reward in advance, though, and if you refuse to pay, they’ll threaten to harm your pet to put the pressure on so you’ll pay up.
Pet Scam #2. Again, in response to an ad placed by you, you may get a call from someone who claims to be a trucker who found your injured animal as he was driving through the area.
He claims that your pet needed vet care, which he has taken care of and paid for, but he needs you to wire him the money so he can pick your pet up and send it back with another trucker in the same company who is driving back your way. Of course, you’ll not only need to wire the money, but give this scammer your name and address, too.
Pet Scam #3. Your lost pet ad prompts a call from someone who claims to have found an animal that might be yours. In the process of exchanging descriptions, the caller will say that he’s found a different animal, not yours. He’ll apologize for your loss, and for taking your time.
This is a set-up — in a short time, he uses the information he’s gotten about YOUR pet to have a second person call and claim to have found your pet. Again, he’ll try to collect any reward money in advance.
Pet Scam #4. Your lost pet ad prompts a call from someone who precisely describes your pet, and wants to return it to claim the reward. In reality, your pet has been STOLEN by this person, who knew you would run an ad!
Pet Scam #5. In a bizarre twist, scammers also respond to ‘found’ ads with the claim that you have found their pet. When you return the found pet, it may be destined for a death at a research facility!
There are certainly other pet scams, but these are some of the most insidious.
In order to prevent these scammers from taking your money or harming your pet, here are a few things you can do:
1. Make sure your pet is always properly licensed and tagged.
2. Keep your pet indoors, in a secure yard, or on a leash at all times.
3. If you must place an ad, include only the essential information.
4. If you get a call from someone who claims to be out-of-state, ask them for a phone number where you can call them back.
5. If a caller appears to be ‘fishing’ for information about your pet, make THEM initiate the questions or comments about your pet’s description.
6. If you’ve found a pet and someone claims it belongs to them, before you return the pet, ask for some kind of documentation that the pet actually belongs to them — ownership or breeding papers, records from the vet, or even family photos.
If you have lost a pet, don’t make your grief even worse by falling for any these cold-hearted pet scams!
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That’s it for now. Keep your pets safe. Wishing you a great week…
Article found on http://www.scambusters.org
LOST PETS) There are people out there that will use your panic at the loss of a pet to steal your money. It’s terrible, but it’s true. You might think that you’d never fall for the scams below, but remember—when your pet is missing, your heightened emotional state makes you susceptible to all manner of suggestions. Read more for some popular scam tactics and how you can avoid them. — Global Animal
It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Some people will really try to scam you using your lost pet.
Released by the Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas
Losing a pet is a devastating experience. BBB has received calls about scammers who are defrauding heartbroken pet owners in order to line their own pockets and advises pet owners who have advertised a lost pet to be wary of the following pet scams.
“Scammers play on your emotions”, said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas. “Pet owners who have lost their animals are easy targets for those whose sole intent is to make a quick buck.”
The Pay-Me-First Scam: The pet owner receives a phone call from a person claiming that they have the lost pet in their possession. This person asks that the reward money be sent to them before they return the pet. If the pet owner refuses, they will often threaten to hurt the pet in order to pressure the pet owner into sending money. Once the scammer receives the money, they are never heard from again.
The Truck Driver Scam: Someone claiming to be a long-haul truck driver tells you that he came across your pet while on his route. He then asks you to send him money so that he can send your pet back to you, or he may ask you to wire him money to board your pet until he can send your pet back with another truck driver who’s heading your way.
The Tag Team Scam: You receive a call from someone who says that they think they have your pet. After talking to you for a while and getting information about your pet, they apologize and say that they’re sorry, but it turns out that it’s not your pet after all. They then give all the information about your pet to a partner. This is a set-up — in a short time, the scammer uses the information received about your pet only to have a second person call and claim to have found your pet who will try collect any reward money in advance.
The Airline Ticket Scam: Someone calls and claims that your pet somehow ended up in another state. They ask you to send money for a kennel and an airline ticket in order for them to ship your pet back to you. Once the pet owner sends the money, the scammer walks away with it, leaving the owner without their pet and with less money in their bank account.
BBB provides the following tips to keep from falling victim to a pet loss scam:
1.If you must place an ad, include only essential information. Refrain from providing information about unique markings or physical attributes.
2.If you get a call from someone who claims to be out-of-state, ask them for a phone number where you can call them back.
3.If a caller claims to have your pet in their possession, ask them to describe something about the pet that wouldn’t be visible in pictures which may have been posted.
4.Never wire money to anyone you don’t know.
Many pet owners have also had their pets microchipped, as this preventive measure has proven to be effective in bringing lost pets home.
For more tips on how to be a savvy consumer, go to www.bbb.org. To report a fraud or scam, call the BBB Hotline: (903)581-5888 .
More from KLTV: http://athens.kltv.com/news/business/77172-be-wary-pet-loss-scams