Fake Pet Shipping Fee Scams via Email
How fraudulent pet sellers use email to request repeated shipping fees, insurance costs, and customs charges for pets that do not exist.
Part of: Fake Pet Shipping Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 9 June 2026
Fake pet sellers who operate via classified ads or social media listings often shift their communication to email once initial contact is made. Email allows scammers to send convincing documentation — fake veterinary health certificates, shipping company confirmations, and customs clearance notices — that look official and reinforce the illusion that a real animal is en route.
Because email is the standard communication channel for formal transactions, victims treat attachments and correspondence with a degree of trust they might not extend to a social media message. The formality of email helps scammers maintain the fiction of a professional pet-shipping operation across multiple fee requests.
How this scam works on email
After initial contact through a listing or social media, the seller shifts correspondence to email and confirms the pet is reserved. A series of charges follows: first a deposit, then a 'pet travel crate' fee, then a health inspection certificate fee, then an 'airline pet insurance' charge, then customs clearance costs. Each fee arrives as a new email with official-looking attachments. Each is described as the final payment needed before delivery.
When victims eventually refuse to pay further charges, the seller threatens that the animal will be impounded or euthanised by customs authorities if the fees are not paid immediately. This emotional pressure exploits the victim's attachment to an animal they have been communicating about for weeks and may consider already theirs.
Common red flags
- Seller requests multiple escalating fees via email after an initial deposit is paid
- Official-looking certificates or airline confirmations contain spelling errors or generic logos
- Customs clearance or quarantine fee demanded urgently, often via untraceable payment
- Photos of the pet reverse-search to other websites or stock image databases
- Seller cannot provide a verifiable UK, US, or EU kennel registration number
- Threat that the animal will be destroyed unless you pay an emergency fee
How to protect yourself
- Never pay for a pet you have not physically visited or verified through a trusted third party
- Reverse-image-search all photos of the animal before paying any fees
- Verify the breeder against official kennel club registries
- Refuse to continue after the first unexpected additional fee — stop all payments
- Do not be swayed by emotional pressure about the animal's welfare — it is a manipulation tactic
- Research typical shipping costs for the country of origin to identify inflated or invented charges
How to report it
- Report to Action Fraud (UK) or the FTC (US) with all email correspondence and payment records
- Report to the RSPCA (UK) or ASPCA (US) fraudulent use of their branding on documentation
- Contact your bank to dispute any payments made
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify that a pet shipping company is real?
Search the company name independently and check for registration with your country's official pet import authority. In the UK, check DEFRA; in the US, the USDA. Real companies are listed. If you cannot find the company, it is likely fictitious.
Should I pay a customs clearance fee to release a pet?
Legitimate customs fees for importing pets are paid directly to official customs authorities, not to the seller. Any request to pay customs costs back to the seller is a hallmark of this scam.