When Kate Margolis gets his dream Dog Online, she didn’t think for a second that she could be Fall to a scam,
A web designer herself, she said that she was “blown” by the breeder’s website and came into contact with her to learn more. Later he called her and prepared her for her home, lifestyle and plans DogHe asked him to secure a puppy, he would need to send a deposit of £ 500. Then, in three months, she will come and choose her new new pet,
But she was about to gather a few days ago DogThe man approached him and said that his puppy ate plastic and died. Then, when he tried to get more information, he took his website down, He blocked everything, and disappeared,
“At first I thought it’s really strange,” he said. “A iconic breeder has allowed a puppy to find some plastic and chew it and die – some do not add here.
“I replied to him and asked for my money. When he disappeared – his website came down, his phone stopped ringing, and my £ 500 disappeared in a thin air.”
data from Action fraud Shows that the Us has lost £ 7.2m pet Scam from 2019, at that time with 14,300 reports. Talk to Independent, Danger The boss warned that criminals To use social media to “hunting” On people looking to buy their next pet online.
Kate said that she was destroyed by loss Dog He had imagined to be a part of his life, he never stopped to think that he could be a scam.
“At that time I felt that he was probably just overgred,” he said. “I was so consumed with finding a puppy to take home that I was as if I would deal with it later.
“I called in sick to work and spent the whole day in an attempt to find another breeder. I thought, now, I just need to find a breeder who is a golden retriever.”
It was only when she started working in the pet industry that she realized that she had become foolish from one. scam Artists hide behind an impressive website and assure the phone call – and she was not the only one.
“Asking and disappearing for deposits is actually a common theme,” he said. “It’s a fake name and a fake account, there is nothing to find out.”
But he warned that scammers would use various techniques, including giving buyers a dog – but not what they asked for.
He said, “I have heard about those who have sought a golden doodle and received an Irish Volfhound,” he said.
To feel that there was no easy way to future domestic animal To verify the breeders, he decided and established matters in his hands StomachA UK -based PET Tech Startup where people can perform a risk verification process using government grade ID checks.
He said that since starting the stage, he has noticed that scammers have used sophisticated and detailed techniques including AI photos and videos of dogs and hired rental properties to trust families.
“AI has allowed scammers to be so cleaner,” Kate said. “This is an easy operation. We see a lot of people who cannot tell what is real and what is fake.”
He said that buyers should “rely on their intestine” and if a breeder is not ready to verify, then it does not matter to walk away.
Action Danger The owners have warned potential pet buyers that they are not paying or paying the fee without checking the animal, which are first real.
Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf, Head of Action Danger And the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) said: “Criminals hunt to buy their next animal online on potential pets owners. If someone, or an online marketplace, has put an advertisement online on social media, if you have put an advertisement online, ask to see the animal in the person or through video call before paying any money.
“Do not pay deposits or holding fees without seeing whether the animals are actual first and avoid paying by bank transfer. The fraudsters can use fake accounts to keep fake advertisements with photos of animals that are not present.
“Remember to stop! Think about fraud and be safe when buying online, make sure you protect your password by creating a strong and memorable password for each online accounts. If you can always enable multi-factor authentication.
“If you are a victim of fraud, immediately report to your bank and the action fraud to the actionfrod.Polis.UU.