How to Identify Lost Pet Scam from Having and Encountered Them Before

No one thinks they will fall for a scam and lose thousands of hard-earned dollars – until it happens.

The Federal Trade Commission received approximately 1.3 million complaints related to financial scamming only in 2016. According to that report, people lose almost $744 million to the frauds. And most of these are being lost because of the lost pet scam.

The amount is really shocking. Did you ever think about how the frauds get this huge amount of money in front of the law enforcement companies?

Well, in a simple sentence, they use our “greed and impatience”. Suppose someone lost his wallet, pet or anything else. As soon as he realizes he lost something, most of the time he become nervous. And the scammers eagerly wait for this chance.

PawMaw is here to help you identify the pet scammers and avoid them before encountering. Let’s find out a solution to avoid pet scam. 

How to Identify the Scammers?

Whenever you lost your beloved pet, you may share the news as much as possible. But the irony of fate is every people who reached your message, is not intended to help you. It’s very common that the lost pet scammers also reached your message and they will contact you for sure. So, how to identify the scammers? Let’s take a look.

1.       The money will be their first priority:

Scammers will tell you that they have found your pet. But they need money before sending it to you. The money demanding approach differs from time to time. He may tell you that he is a truck driver and found your pet on the road. So, he needs money to deliver it. You may also willing to send money via Western Union, PayPal, Bitcoin etc. But wait! Before, sending the money, make sure you have enough information about him. If he refuses to share information, don’t send your money.

2.     Beware of Any Sense of Urgency:

The scammers will always try to convince you to go for urgent action. The previous example also goes for it. He may say that he is a driver and he will leave the town just after delivering your pet. So, they need money urgently.

But, don’t fall for this. Take your time. If he refuses to give you enough time, told him to deliver your pet to the nearest police station or any safe place of your area. 

3.     They Will Try to Avoid Face to Face Meeting:

The scammers will show you lots of excuses to refuse the face to face meeting. They just want you to send the money as soon as possible.

But few scammers become more advanced. They will meet you in a crowded place and demand money before handling your pet. To avoid this scam, demand to see your pet first. Otherwise, don’t waste your time on them. As soon as you give them the money, they will disappear for good within a moment.

These are the most used tricks of the scammers. But they may use different tricks. So, use your sense to identify the scammers.

How To Avoid Lost Pet Scam?

Identifying and avoiding scammers isn’t a big deal. Simply follow those facts and you are good to go –

1.       Don’t send money to anyone you don’t know:

Don’t wire your hard-earned money to anyone you don’t know. You know, people can also demand money without finding your pet. 

2.     Check for spoofed numbers or email:

Scammers are very fond of spoofed numbers and email addresses. If someone contacts you via a spoofed number, ask him for a real number to contact back. If they show excuses or simply refuses to provide a real phone number, avoid further contact with him. It’s a red flag. 

3.     Ask for your pet's photo:

Scammers don’t have any photo of your pet. If someone claims that he found your pet, ask them to send a current photo of your pet via email. If he fails or refuses to send the photo, simply ignore him.

4.     Limit the information:

It’s obvious that you will post on social media sites about your lost pet. But, beware about sharing details physical information about your pet. Your pet might have some unique identification mark. If anyone claims about finding your pet, ask him for that identification mark. That’s how you can determine the frauds. Easy!

How To Avoid Found Pet Scam?

We are normally familiar with the concept of becoming the victim who lost their pet. But, not only might them, even the people who found a pet could be a victim of frauds. There are also few advanced hoaxers who target only the people who found a pet.

In this case, the scammers pretend as they are the owner of your found pet. However, the reality is the opposite of this. They don’t own this. They will collect the pet and sell it on the local market. So, how can you avoid these frauds? Easy! Abide by the following tips and get rid of them.

1.       Ask for Ownership:

If someone tries to contact you and claim he/she is the right owner, ask for ownership proof such as vet records, breeding papers etc. If the person unable to show any of this, you must avoid them. They are just trying to get that pet from you and sell it in the market.

2.     Ask for photos:

Whenever someone claims as the owner via phone or email, gently request them to bring any photo of a photo including him and the pet. It’s a very common type of photo. If he fails to show any photo like this, don’t hand over the found pet.

3.     Ask for Any Special Identification Sign:

Most of the pets hold some unique identification sign. It could be the skin color of a particular organ, eye color or anything like that. Only the real owner can inform you about the unique identification sign. According to my opinion, it is the best option to find out the real owner.

Conclusion:

We all know your mental situation after losing your beloved pet. But, don’t lose control of your mind. Stay focused and keeps tracing your pet. If you face any scammers during the tracing, choose your step easily. You may contact your state police or other vet offices to avoid the scammers.