Deepak Gupta

Shopping and marketplace · Also called puppy scam, fake breeder, pet delivery scam, kitten scam

Pet and puppy scam

A pet scam is a fake advert for a puppy, kitten, or other animal, often a popular breed at a low price, that does not exist or is not the seller's. The fake breeder takes a deposit or full payment, often asks for more money for extra costs, and never delivers the animal.

How it works

Scammers post adverts on websites, social media, or marketplaces using stolen photos of animals, often at below-market prices.
They say other buyers are interested, to rush you into paying a deposit.
They avoid phone calls, video chats, and visits, and ask for payment by gift card, payment app, crypto, or wire transfer.
More fees may follow for delivery or paperwork, and the animal never arrives.

Red flags

The price is far below what the breed usually costs.
The seller will not let you visit, video chat, or even talk by phone.
You must pay by gift card, payment app, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer.
The animal's photos appear on other websites when you do a reverse image search.

If you are targeted

Stop contact and do not send more money for delivery, paperwork, or any other fee.
Contact your bank or payment provider at once to try to stop or reverse the payment.
Keep the advert, photos, and messages as evidence.
Report it. Our Report a scam page lists where to report in your country, such as ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US.
Report the advert to the website or platform that hosted it.

Where to report, by country

Prevention

For individuals

Search the seller's name with words like review, scam, or complaint, and reverse image search the animal's photos.
Meet the animal in person or on a live video call before paying.
Consider adopting from a local rescue or shelter, where the animal is real and the fees are known.

For organisations

Marketplaces can check pet sellers and remove adverts that reuse images posted elsewhere.
Payment providers can warn customers who pay new payees for pets or animal delivery.

By the numbers

Figures are for the reporting category this scam falls under, not this scam alone.

Non-payment and non-delivery losses reported to the FBI IC3 in 2025	$503.4M	US, 2025, FBI IC3
Authorised push payment fraud losses in the UK in 2025	£576.4M	GB, 2025, UK Finance

Real cases

No documented case in the atlas yet. New cases are added as they are sourced.

Delivered through: Social media ads and posts

How official datasets classify it

FBI IC3: Non-Payment/Non-Delivery
FTC: Online Shopping
UK Finance: Purchase scam
Scamwatch: Buying and selling scams

Questions

How can I tell if a puppy seller is real?: The FTC advises searching the seller's name with words like review or scam, doing a reverse image search on the photos, and moving on if the seller will not let you visit, video chat, or talk by phone.
The seller wants more money for shipping. Should I pay?: No. Requests for extra fees after a deposit are a common sign of a pet scam. Stop paying and contact your bank or payment provider.