Anatomy of a Scam
Anatomy of a scam
We frequent rehoming groups, and all too often we see posts which look downright scammy — very cute kittens that look way too young to be rehomed, breed cats, etc. We also often hear about people who wanted to adopt a pet but were left heartbroken and catless. Scams are getting sophisticated, and prey on those who are vulnerable and often new to animal adoption world. So in the interest of public service one of us reached out to someone who posted a suspicious looking adoption offer with cute kittens… and a bunch of comments were “messaged you!” and “interested!”
We are including the screenshots and identifying the red flags. Notice that by asking very basic questions we were able to make this person expose their complete lack of knowledge… remember, scams are sophisticated but many scammers are not!
1. We asked for recent pics of the kittens (kittens in the OP were tuxedoes and looked to be about 4 weeks old). We were told that the kittens are now 10 weeks old, and shown pics of different adult cats.
2. We asked about which vaccines were given and the answer was “rabies”. The earliest cats can be vaccinated for rabies is 12-16 weeks. Kittens however must have a series of 3-4 FVRCP vaccines.
3. When asked about a rescue, the scammer gave us the name of a first-aid squad. Yes, really 😂
4. When asked about rehoming fees, we were given 2 separate quotes, one for transfer of ownership papers. This is not a thing! You can transfer ownership of an animal via a simple contract, no money needed.
5. They are adopting out unfixed kittens. No reputable rescue will adopt out an unaltered animal (with very few exceptions— those would be medical clearance or spay/neuter voucher and/or deposit).
6. They are trying to create a sense of urgency by saying there’s someone else interested in the cat.
Bottom line: if they require upfront payment, walk away. Better yet, adopt from a reputable shelter or rescue— that $100-200 adoption fee is less than half than what you would spend on vetting of a “free” kitten off the internet— and that’s the best case scenario.
Beware of scammers and back yard breeders! (And yes, anyone messaging you about a kitten is one or the other. Reputable breeders have waitlists and are not chasing strangers on the internet.) Protect your wallet and protect your heart!