‘I paid £500 after finding my dream dog for sale online. There was one problem – it didn’t exist’
When Kate Margolis found her dream dog online, she didn’t think she might fall for a scam.
A web designer said that the breeder was “blown” by the website and contacted him to find out more. He then called him and tested his house, lifestyle and dog plans. He told him that he had to send £ 500 deposit to secure a puppy. Then he could come and choose his new pet in three months.
But only days before collecting the dog, the man contacted him and said he had eaten plastic and died. Then, when he tried to find more, he downloaded his website, blocked him and disappeared.
“At first I thought it was really strange,” he said. “A respected breeder, a puppy allowed him to find and die and die – he doesn’t add anything here.
“I answered him and wanted my money back. That’s when he disappeared – the website went down, stopped stealing the phone, and £ 500 £ disappeared into the thin air.”
The data obtained from action fraud shows that Brits has lost £ 7.2 million to pet deception since 2019, and 14,300 reports. While talking IndependentFraud bosses warned people that criminals use social media to “hunt” to people who want to buy their next pets online.
Kate said that it was ruined by the loss of the dog he dreamed of that he had become a part of his life, and he never stopped to think that he might have been defrauded.
“I thought it was probably exaggerated then,” he said. “I was so consumed to find a puppy to take it home, as I would deal with it later.
“I called the patient to work and tried to find another breeding all day. Currently, I thought I had to find a breeder with just a golden hunter.”
Only when he started working in the pet industry, he noticed that he was deceived by a scam artist hiding behind an impressive website and hiding behind a phone call – and he wasn’t the only person.
“It is a really common theme to ask for deposits and to get lost,” he said. “This is a fake name and a fake account, nothing to watch you.”
However, he warned that fraudsters will use different techniques, including giving buyers a dog – but not what they want.
“I heard people who want a golden doodle and buy a wolf with an Irish wolf,” he added.
Realizing that potential pet owners were not an easy way to verify breeders, he decided to be important in their own hands and established it. PetproovA UK -based PET Tech company where people can undertake a risk verification process by using state -class identity controls.
Since the start of the platform, scammers have used sophisticated and detailed techniques, including AI photos and dog videos, and hired rental properties to deceive their families to trust them.
“AI let the scammers be so clean, Kate Kate said. “This is an uninterrupted operation. We see many people who cannot say what is real and what is fake.”
He added that buyers should “trust in their intestines ve and if a grower does not want to verify, get away, no matter how hard it is.
Action fraud bosses warned possible petal buyers not to pay deposits or pay wages without checking the animal.
“NFIB) said:“ Criminals hunt their next animals to the possible pet owners who want to buy online. If an ad online on social media or online markets online, ask for an animal personally or through a video call before paying the money.
“Do not pay a deposit or waiting fee without seeing whether the animal is real first, and avoid paying with bank transfer. Frauds can use false accounts to put fake ads with pictures of non -existent animals.
“Don’t forget to stop! Think of fraud when buying online and make sure you protect your passwords by creating strong and unforgettable passwords for each of your online accounts. Always enable multi -factor identity.
“If you have become a victim of a fraud, immediately report to your bank and report to Actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040 and report to the action fraud. Call the Police Scotland in Scotland.
