Scammers are out there. Here’s how to spot them.
Unfortunately, scammers will try to pose as people looking to rehome pets. We’ll do everything we can to prevent that, but here’s what you can do, too.
Watch for these four red flags from Private Owners. And if you experience any of these, report the pet’s name to us.
Sounding too good to be true
Scammers often try to post highly-sought after pets to lure potential adopters into paying for a pet that doesn’t exist.
Asking for personal info
We’ll only ever share your name, phone number, and email with Private Owners. And we’ll never ask you for any other personal info. So never do the following:
- Fill out any application, forms, or payments on websites or apps that aren’t Adopt a Pet.
- Share any financial information or personal information, like your home address.
- Click on any links in an email from the Private Owner (they may be trying to install malware).
Communicating in an “off” way
Private Owners not willing to speak on the phone or meet in person? It could be a scammer at work. So make sure to do the following:
- If you receive a text that seems in any way suspicious, try calling the number back.
- Always meet the pet in real life before ever submitting a payment to the Private Owner.
- When deciding on a place to meet the pet, always choose a safe, public place. Never meet at your home. (And as mentioned above, never give your home address to a Private Owner!)
Paying for the adoption
We’ll never ask you to pay an adoption fee through a payment app. So always:
- Avoid payment apps like CashAPP, Zelle, Venmo, or Paypal. Scammers will often insist you use these. And once money has been sent, there is no way to recover those funds.
- Real Private Owners may ask you to pay them directly, but we highly recommend paying them only after you have met the pet in person.
We tell you all this not to freak you out, just to protect you from any potentially bad situations. So if something does seem suspicious, report it to us asap. Because if something seems like a scam, it probably is.
Thanks for helping keep Adopt a Pet safe!