When a family pet goes missing, scammers are often lurking, ready to exploit the situation. As we have been sharing posts on social media about Phoenix, we’ve received numerous comments that were suspicious. These comments always urged us to contact specific individuals or pages, sometimes even encouraging us to use a different app like Instagram to “recover” Phoenix.
While there are legitimate pet recovery services, it’s important to know how to identify the red flags to avoid being taken advantage of during an emotional time.
Pay Attention to Red Flags
To protect yourself from falling victim to these scams, watch out for the following red flags:
- People who claim they have your pet but cannot provide photos or a description of your pet;
- People who demand for a reward before proving they have your pet and/or before meeting with you to return your pet;
- People who offer images of your pet that you have posted online (scammers will typically try editing these photos before sending them to you, so make sure you pay close attention);
- People who contact you claiming to be a “vet” that has been providing medical care to your pet (ALWAYS ask for the name of the vet office and then hang up, Google search the name of the vet office, and contact them via the official phone number listed on their website OR if it’s close to you, drive there yourself and speak to them in person);
- People on social media pages (such as Facebook and Instagram) commenting on posts telling you to “message <some pet recovery page> quickly” – do NOT fall for these, no matter how tempting it may be to use a pet recovery service.
- If you do want to use one, be sure to do research before deciding who to go with.
- Research should involve checking several services out and asking friends & family if they have either used the service before or know someone personally who has used it.
- Additionally, read reviews on the organization and search for additional reviews on Reddit to see what might be getting filtered out of Google search results.
- If you do want to use one, be sure to do research before deciding who to go with.
Reporting Scams
If you suspect you have been targeted by a pet recovery scam, don’t despair! There are steps you can take to report the scammer(s) and protect others from falling victim.
- File a report to the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Report a fraudulent pet recovery website to Petscams.com
- File an official complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- File a report to your financial institution (bank/credit union/credit card company) if your debit/credit card information and/or bank account information has been given out as a payment option
Protect Others by Raising Awareness
Scammers thrive on secrecy and misinformation. By sharing what we know about pet recovery scams, we have the ability to help protect other pet owners from falling into the same traps.
Here are some ways you can help raise awareness as well:
- A quick conversation with neighbors
- A post on your community board
- Sharing the information on social media
- A quick mention in phone calls or texts with family and friends
The more people know what to be on the lookout for, the harder it will be for scammers to succeed. We all have a responsibility to help protect each other.