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There’s a good chance the animals you see aren’t being rescued at all—but exploited for profit. A new report has exposed a growing trend of fake animal rescues flooding social platforms. These videos, designed to tug at your heartstrings, often show animals in dangerous or distressing situations.
All the adoption groups that list their pets on Petfinder have been carefully screened by our shelter outreach staff. But if you're looking beyond Petfinder for a pet to adopt, there are some red flags to keep an eye out for. No one of these points alone proves a rescue group isn't legit.
- How The Scam Works
- How to Avoid Pet Adoption Scams
- For More Information
You are looking to adopt a dog and find an animal shelter or individual online wanting to rehome a puppy. You message them for more information and receive a convincing, heart-tugging backstory. In one recent BBB Scam Trackerreport, a scammer claimed to be finding a new home for her poodle after a car accident left her unable to care for the dog. I...
Never buy or adopt a pet without seeing it in person.This is the best way to ensure you aren’t caught in a con.Do an internet search of the pet’s image.If you find a puppy online, upload the pet’s photo to a reverse image search. If you find multiple pet adoption sites using the same picture, it’s probably...Use money transfer with friends: Protect yourself from scams by only using money transfer apps for their intended purpose -- sending money to people you know.For more information on puppy scams, see BBB’s full report on puppy scams. Learn more about how scammers impersonated a dog rescue in San Francisco. If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams. Find more information about scams and how to avoid...
Mar 4, 2021 · Videos showing people saving animals are regularly posted on online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. It has been proven that fake rescue videos have joined the ranks of these real rescues. These alleged animal rescues are a scam to generate donations and make money.
Apr 13, 2021 · Illegally Imported. So how can you tell if the shelter is legitimate? Where did you hear about the dog being offered? Are you able to meet the dog and see the shelter? How healthy do the animals appear? Have they provided a behavioural assessment? What background information can they provide? Expect to be interrogated!
In the last few months, we have spotted and also been made aware of a number of scams which involve both individuals and fake dog rescue/rehoming pages on Facebook, claiming to have dogs and puppies needing loving homes as soon as possible.
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Jan 19, 2021 · A Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker report found that 25.2% of all reported online purchase scams in 2020 were related to pets and pet supplies. During the pandemic, the number of reported pet scams has more than doubled.
