Pet scammers continue to be reported in fraudulent cases

The number of reported fraud cases increase, as pet scams increase after the boom during the pandemic, making up one-quarter of the online fraudulent cases.

One-quarter of all online retail fraud in the United States, involves pet scams, which cost prospective pet owners $ 2 million in losses last year alone, not to mention the emotional toll they had to withstand.

Pet scams are becoming more common, with an increasing number of victims. Individuals looked at getting pets more than ever, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to fill the void during isolation had peaked and the lookout for getting pets also increased.

Since the pandemic, the pet industry has continued to thrive and prosper, however, so has fraudulent advertisements. Scam artist have been on the rise, taking the pet industry on and spamming websites with false sales of pets. The pet scams have been at an all-time high over the recent past, with most scams involving purebred puppies and kittens; the purebred label allows scammers to demand excessively high prices.

The most prevalent frauds involve puppies. Pet scams frequently happen when vendors advertise an animal online, usually for less than the animal is worth, an easy way to commit fraud. This encourages consumers to part with their money up front, in an effort to buy a new pet quickly and affordably.

After receiving money, the scammers, posing as sellers vanish. Over 15,000 reports of pet scams and fraud cases have been filed with the Better Business Bureau in the past three years, and it is anticipated that many more cases will go undetected.