Images of cute puppies and kittens are being used by scammers to lure their victims into paying thousands of dollars for a pet that doesn’t exist and the consumer losses are substantial.
So far this year WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection has received 63 reports with 44 victims losing a total of $89,220. In 2021, 225 reports were received with 147 Western Australians handing over $381,589 to scammers for fake pets. The highest individual loss in 2022 is $7,500, and $16,000 in 2021.
Most victims have responded to online advertisements, mostly on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, before being directed to a fake website and then paid the money by bank transfer. They are later contacted by a fake courier company that extracts more money from the victims in the guise of paying for a shipping crate, insurance, immunisations, vet fees, accommodation or storage costs.
When the pet fails to arrive, the original seller and the courier company become uncontactable.
Executive Director of Consumer Protection Trish Blake said there are some red flags to watch out for to avoid becoming a victim.
“The loudest alarm bell should be if the trader only accepts payment via direct bank transfer or a transfer service and not by credit card or PayPal as these methods offer more protection to…
