Australians have lost nearly $300,000 to puppy scams this year, and scammershave been particularly targeting those seeking a furry companion during socialisolation.
Scamwatch has seen a recent spike in puppy scams and in April reports werealmost five times higher than the average, with losses on track to exceed the2019 total of $360,000.
“A lot of people are stuck at home and going online to buy a pet to help themget through the loneliness of social isolation,” ACCC Deputy Chair DeliaRickard said.
“Unfortunately the rush to get a new pet and the unusual circumstances ofCOVID-19 makes it harder to work out what’s real or a scam.”
Scammers set up fake websites or ads on online classifieds and social mediapretending to sell sought-after dog breeds and will take advantage of the factthat you can’t travel to meet the puppy in person.
The scammer will usually ask for up-front payments via money transfer to payfor the pet and transport it to you.
“Once you have paid the initial deposit, the scammer will find new ways to askfor more money, and scammers are now using the COVID-19 pandemic to claimhigher transportation costs to get across closed interstate borders oradditional fees for ‘coronavirus treatments’,” Ms Rickard said.
“Unfortunately once you make the payments, the seller will cease all contact.”
The most common breeds reported were Cavoodles and French Bulldogs and mostpeople contacted the scammers via an email address they found online.
“The safest option is to only buy or adopt a pet you can meet in person and ifyou cannot do that during the current lockdown restrictions, consider puttingthe search on hold,” Ms Rickard said.
“Scam websites can look quite convincing, so try not to fall for the adorablepuppy pictures they post, and remember, if the price looks too good to betrue, it probably is.”
“Research the seller by running an internet search using the exact wording inthe ad and do a reverse image search for pictures of the specific puppy, asyou’re likely to be dealing with a scammer if you find matching images or texton multiple websites,” Ms Rickard said.
“If you are in doubt, seek advice from a reputable breeders association, vetor local pet shop.”
So far this year Scamwatch has received over 2,000 reports about COVID-19scams and reported losses are now more than $700,000.
“If you think you have been scammed, contact your bank or financialinstitution as soon as possible,” Ms Rickard said.
More information on coronavirus scams is available on the Scamwatch website,including how to make a report and where to get help.
You can also follow @scamwatch_gov on Twitter and subscribe to Scamwatch radaralerts.
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