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Advice and tips on buying and selling between private individuals
  • Beauty

Pet classifieds: beware of scams!

  • 19 February 19

You've made your choice and want to adopt a pet. Cuddles, scratches and walks are on the way, and you can't wait! Given the price of pedigree animals, or the costs involved in adopting from an association, it's often easier to use classified ads to make serious savings and simplify procedures.

However, you should be aware that some people take advantage of your desire for a little companion to try and trick you. Here's how it works.

How is such a scam possible?

Some classified ads have all the makings of a benevolent and innocent publication:

  • "I can no longer look after my dog because of health problems".
  • "I have to move abroad and I can't take my ferret with me".
  • "I've just had a baby and he's allergic to cats, so I can't keep him"...

Sometimes this is true, sometimes not.

The adverts feature amateur-quality photos that are often touching... They have all the makings of the real thing! And in the vast majority of cases, the animal is free! Yes, totally free, but not next door. The scammer will simply ask you to pay the cost of transporting the animal. Of course, it will never arrive.

The mechanics of the scam are simple:

  • The alleged owner explains his or her situation, sends you touching photos of the animal and gives you information about the animal, from its character to its cute little ways. These are often endearing pedigree animals that are extremely expensive in the traditional sales circuit. The scammer will try to establish a relationship of trust with you, positioning you as the animal's "saviour".
  • The so-called owner will press you, claiming that there are a large number of people ready to adopt the animal or that they are in an extreme emergency due to their personal situation. Some will even go so far as to give you a discount on transport costs!
  • You will be asked to make a payment using a method that is difficult or impossible to trace (Western Union, PCS cards, Transcash, etc.), supposedly to cover transport costs. Some, more cleverly, will send you a fraudulent e-mail from an alleged animal transport agency. Of course, this is a fake.
  • And not surprisingly, the animal will never reach you.

How can you protect yourself from this type of scam?

First and foremost, animal ads are regulated (LINK reglementation annonces animaux), so please read our article on this point. If the person is unable to provide you with all the information you need, they are a private individual, and potentially a swindler. So beware.

Check the photos

You can start by using Google's image search system to see if the photos of the animal in the advert are used elsewhere. If they are, but the information about the animal is different, it's definitely a scam.

Ask for the telephone number

Sellers are often in a different place than they say they are. Ask for the number, firstly to see the ID, and secondly to talk to the owner about the animal. If it's not a French number, you may have serious questions...

Don't have animals shipped to you

Don't believe it for a second: you can't send an animal through the post. The scam is more than obvious. Some go so far as to create fake websites specialising in sending animals. If the latter is dodgy, has no other online references and few or no verified reviews, run away! In any case, buying animals from a distance between private individuals is highly inadvisable! You'd be better off picking up animals nearby yourself - there are probably hundreds of them out there!

There are more than a hundred complaints every month.

If, unfortunately, you haven't managed to avoid the scam with all the information we've just given you, the SPA counts several victims every week.

The amount of the scam can sometimes exceed €2,500, and there is very little recourse, as these are generally networks of seasoned crooks who do not originate in France.

The SPA is asking all classified ad sites to be more vigilant about scams!

If you have to pay, use Obvy

With Obvy, you have all the information about the transaction and the person handing over the animal, so you have a way of tracing the transaction if you need to. This is essential for this type of exchange!