Fake Puppy and Pet Seller Scams

Fake puppy and pet seller scams involve fraudulent online listings for puppies, kittens, exotic animals, or other pets that do not exist or are not available for purchase. Buyers pay deposits and then face a series of additional fee demands — for transport, insurance, crating, customs clearance — before the animal they paid for never arrives and the seller disappears.

These scams are sustained by the high emotional investment buyers place in a prospective pet, particularly during periods when demand for specific breeds is high. The photographs used are almost always stolen from legitimate breeders' websites or social media accounts, meaning the animals in the pictures are real but have no connection to the seller.

The harm is both financial and emotional. Buyers lose significant sums — sometimes several hundred to several thousand units of currency — and also experience genuine distress at the loss of an animal they had already emotionally committed to before delivery. Families with children who were expecting a pet are particularly affected.

The scam is particularly well-adapted to online formats because a live video or in-person interaction with the animal is a normal part of a genuine sale that scammers must discourage or work around. Their tactics for doing so — the animal is too young to travel, the breeder is abroad, the transport is already arranged — create red flags that buyers often only recognise in retrospect.

A listing appears on classifieds sites, social media marketplaces, or dedicated pet-selling platforms. The photographs show appealing, high-quality images of puppies or kittens of a popular breed. The asking price may be at or slightly below market rate to appear credible while still being attractive.

The buyer expresses interest. The seller explains that they are located at a distance — a different region or country — and that in-person viewing is not possible but they are happy to arrange transport. An initial deposit is requested to secure the specific animal.

After the deposit is paid, complications arise in sequence. The transport company requires payment for a special crating system. Customs regulations require veterinary documentation that must be paid for. The airline requires insurance for the animal. Each request comes with urgency and an explanation for why this step cannot be skipped.

Some variants introduce a fake animal welfare organisation or 'transport company' — also controlled by the scammer — that adds a false layer of third-party authority to the requests. Eventually, the buyer either stops paying or exhausts their willingness to continue, and the seller disappears.

The sunk cost effect is powerful: once a buyer has paid an initial deposit and emotionally committed to a specific animal, subsequent demands feel like the cost of protecting an investment rather than new risks to evaluate. Walking away means losing everything already paid.

The photographs of real animals create genuine emotional attachment. The buyer is not reacting to a transaction in the abstract — they are reacting to photographs of a specific puppy that they have already named and planned for. This emotional state significantly reduces rational scrutiny.

I have a beautiful [breed] puppy available — I am based in [distant location] but can arrange transport. A deposit of [amount] will hold [name] for you.

UPDATE: The transport company requires a pet insurance certificate before shipping. This will cost [amount] and is refundable on arrival.

Customs has flagged your shipment — an additional veterinary clearance fee of [amount] is required before [name] can be released.

I am so sorry for the delay. The airline has changed their crating requirements. One more payment of [amount] and [name] will be with you.

Request a live video call with the animal before any payment is made. A genuine seller will be able to show the animal live, in a recognisable environment, with some confirmation of identity. A scammer will decline, citing the animal's wellbeing, transport logistics, or technical problems.

Reverse image search all photographs in the listing. If the images appear on other listings, a breeder's website in a different country, or a legitimate kennel's Instagram, the photographs have been stolen.

Never pay deposits or fees for a pet you have not seen in person or via a live verified video call. Any genuine breeder or seller can facilitate this. Additional fee demands after an initial deposit — particularly for transport, insurance, or customs — are a near-universal feature of this scam.