How does a pet or puppy scam work?

The scam begins with an advertisement for a puppy, kitten, or exotic animal at a below-market price, typically posted on classifieds sites, Facebook Marketplace, or dedicated pet rehoming pages. The photos are stolen from legitimate breeders or animal charities. The seller's story is sympathetic: a family moving abroad, a child with allergies, a breeder with more pets than expected.

After the initial contact, the buyer is asked for a deposit to secure the animal. Payment is by bank transfer, Venmo, or Zelle — non-reversible or difficult to dispute. The animal then runs into complications: transport company fees, airline cargo charges, pet passport processing, quarantine documentation. Each stage requires another payment. Some operators send fake documentation from fake vetting agencies and airlines to extend the deception.

The cumulative fees often exceed the cost of buying from a legitimate, verifiable source several times over. The buyer, emotionally invested in the specific animal they have been sent photos of, finds it difficult to cut their losses. The animal never arrives, and the seller eventually stops responding.

Scammers specifically target breeds with long legitimate waiting lists — French bulldogs, Ragdoll cats, exotic reptiles — because genuine demand exceeds supply, making implausible prices seem like a lucky find rather than a warning sign.