They call you with an urgent ad, cute photos, a more than tempting description, but the goal is to fleece you…
When it comes to getting money, scammers will usually use any means to achieve their goals. They target our bank accounts, our medical data, our payment information on e-commerce sites, our local authorities, and sometimes even our feelings… You may have heard of it, some scammers play with the emotions of their victims to gain their attention and gain their trust. The ultimate goal is to be able to easily fool them afterwards.
Using this method, fraudsters can do just about anything, even baiting their prey with adorable animals. This technique is not new, it has been talked about for several years. Lately, it seems to be back on social networks, but also on websites that boast of being “professional”. On your Facebook feed, for example, you have probably already seen ads for adopting puppies or kittens. In reality, most of them are fake!
Very often, they appeal to Internet users thanks to the cute photos, but also thanks to the speech used. Some posts sometimes play on the urgent need to find the animal a new family ready to welcome it. All the arguments are put forward: death of a loved one, moving, allergy… And to top it all off, the animal is offered for free. The idea behind it is to soften you up so that you fall for it…
If this is the case and you contact the person who posted the ad, they will respond very quickly and after a few exchanges, will ask you for a bank transfer to take the animal to your home. This is when the trap closes. Once you have made the payment, which is usually in the hundreds of euros, unfortunately the puppy or kitten never arrives.
In addition to fake ads on social networks, some people also get fooled by sites that claim to be professional breeders, offering reputable breeds. A young Parisian student recently experienced this. Interviewed by The Parisian, The young woman lost a total of 1,150 euros trying to buy a Maltipoo puppy, supposedly from a family breeder in Corsica. “Like about ten people a week, you got scammed. It’s the new fashion.”a customs officer told the young buyer.
The Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) regularly denounces this type of scam. To avoid being the next victim, the SPA advises to always be wary of online pet sales ads, “regardless of the site or platform”and especially “never carry out a financial transaction without having visited and seen the animal”, indicates the association on its website.