In the 28 years that our nonprofit organization has been helping pet owners to recover their missing pets, we have seen many scams come and go. What is common to all of them, is that the usually sophisticated con-artists know how to get you to suspend your good judgement...because you really do want to believe them. The best way to fight any scam is through education--before you get a call from the criminal. Please read the following information frequently, and help spread-the-word to your friends. And write us at our e-mail address if you have been victimized by a pet related scam, and want to warn others. We will get the information out as quickly as possible.
NEW JERSEY SET-UP TO ROB HOUSE
Here s how it works, simple and effective. A couple of women appear at your front door saying that they are looking for their missing cat. They ask to check your backyard, as there have been sightings of their cat in the neighborhood. When you agree, only one follows you out back, while the other stays behind… and takes your small valuables.
It is hard to turn down such a request to search for a missing pet. We urge, however, that you insist on all visitors accompanying you out back at the same time, or that others wait in the car. If they are not amenable to this, it should serve as a “red flag.”
PET RECOVERY SERVICES THAT SOLICIT
There are illegitimate individuals who call owners of missing pets and claim to conduct searches employing various methods, most often calling neighbors and alerting them to "be on the lookout for the pet."
Some may actually do what they claim, but our 28-years of experience is that a "red flag" should go up, when they call you (most often because the pet owner ran a lost pet classified ad).
We advise that, if the service appears of value (calling neighbors is all but useless, compared to putting up flyers), take their phone number and call them back before signing up. Also, ask your local shelter, as well as the BBB if they have knowledge of the organization/company. Finally, are they nonprofit? If they claim they are, ask for their tax-exempt number.
We are also happy to give you the benefit of our experience in sorting through legitimate services from those that are fraudulent.
Owners of missing pets are vulnerable, and want to try everything to get their pet back. But it exacerbates the stress to get scammed by someone who preys on that very vulnerability.
PRISON SCAM RESURFACES
A scam from years back, has re-emerged, most often heard about in the state of
Oklahoma.
A prisoner calls lost pet owners who have advertised in their local paper. He
explains (with variations), that his sister found a pet just like the one
advertised, near where she lives. He asks that money be sent to "cover the
cost of feeding the pet," before he will tell the owner how to contact his
sister.
Money is sent, and he is never heard from again. Attempts to gain cooperation
from the prison in tracing the caller have, as yet, not been successful.
Any call about the recovery of a missing pet that is "complicated,"
should be treated with caution. Our staff is happy to guide pet owners through
those situations.
PET TAG SCAMS -- NEW ONES EVERY DAY!
Services that offer a tag with a toll free phone number are good in concept,
but in selecting a service to join, let the pet owner beware! In our more than
22 years of service, we have seen hundreds open up shop, sell their service,
then disconnect their phone . . . . leaving the pet owner with a false sense of
security. Shop around before picking the right service, and consider the
following:
Is the service nonprofit -- which would mean that they have no incentive to take the money and run?
Are the Phones answered live? Technology has it place, but when you have an
emergency, there is nothing better than to have a knowledgeable person calming
your fears and guiding you in your search.
How long have they been in existence? In other words, how much experience will
be available if you ever really need it?
Most important, do they just provide a tag, or also do a search by description
in case the pet is found without its collar (almost 40% of the pets we recover
that were lost with a collar, are found without one, or with a different one).
Are they endorsed by a humane society?
Do they post the description of the missing pet on the Internet? If so, check
out their web site for the geographic distribution of missing pets.
If you ever travel with your pet, ask if they provide travel assistance. Many
pets are lost during travel . . . a disorienting experience for pet and owner.
And, of course, what does the service cost? Keep in mind that, if the service
is new, it is meaningless for them to offer you a package with a number of
years of protection. . . if they will be gone (as so many are) in a few months.
Make an intelligent choice from the outset, and you can be confident that your pet will enjoy the protection you expect -- and deserve.
RANSOMING A STOLEN PET
You have lost a pet, and get a call from someone asking for a ransom payment
(they prefer to call it a reward), You want to believe that they have your pet,
but you really can't be sure. Here are some guidelines to help you separate
those callers who do not have your pet, from those who might:
A person who might have your pet will be willing to meet you in a public
place and show you the animal first. If they show up with a story of why the
pet is not with them, or insist on meeting you at an isolated location -- they
do not have your pet! If the caller says he does not want money for the return
of the pet, but then goes into a long and complicated story, he is most likely
trying to set you up for the sting . . . and does not have your pet. If the caller
asks you questions(usually quite skillfully) to get you to give them a
description, it is a good bet that they will spew that information back to you
later, making it sound as though they are describing your pet as it sits in
front of them. Often, they will even say something like, "let me check, I
don't think this one has brown on its legs." After a few minutes, they
come back to the phone and tell you-- excitedly -- that it does.
Here are rules that you should fix in your mind, and never violate:
Never mail, wire or hand over any money to anyone--ever—unless the pet is in
your hands. You will not jeopardize the return of pet by sticking to this rule,
but you can be sure that scam artists who do not have your pet will want you to
think that you will.
Arrange to meet the person who claims to have your pet in a busy public place, at a reasonable hour. Have a friend watch you from a distance.
Call Petfinders for guidance any time you get a suspicious call -- and before you take any action.
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You get what seems like a legitimate collect call about the missing pet that you advertised in the newspaper. As the message is asking whether you will accept the charges, you hear a voice in the background saying that they have your pet.
Whether or not you accept the charges, what follows almost immediately, is a disconnect. Now you are worried, and wait for a follow-up call, but it never comes.
The next time you think about this incident is when you get your phone bill, and there are thousands of international long distance calls billed to your account . . . calls you never made.
What happened was that the caller tapped in to your phone line during the couple of seconds from the time you hung up (after the pseudo collect call), until it reached the your long distance phone carrier’s central computer. Keeping the line open, they then illegally sold the connection to others.
Here’s the clincher. Many phone companies will not credit you for those calls because they were made from your phone number. However, you can fight it. Speak to the Executive Office of the company and, if necessary, call the Public Service Commission. If all else fails, call the Attorney General for your state.
What to do if you get such a call? Immediately report it to the security department of your long distance carrier. Tell them you will not be responsible for those charges.