Warning against pet scams

SEVERAL Richards Bay residents have fallen victim to online pet scams recently and Richards Bay police caution the public against purchasing animals without having seen them first.

According to Richards Bay SAPS spokesperson, Captain Debbie Ferreira, the victims were robbed of large sums of cash under the false pretense that they would receive their ‘pure bred puppy’ after payments were made.

Posing as dog handlers or animal breeders, the fraudsters target prospective pet owners and initially tell buyers they will also have to pay for the animal’s transportation costs. They then ask for further payments to ‘cover unforeseen circumstances’.

‘Buyers should be extremely cautious when purchasing pets over the Internet and rather make efforts to meet in person, see the animals and then finalise the transaction.

‘Puppy scams acquire victims via online advertisements, often advertising cheap puppies,’ said Ferreira.

‘Fraudsters offer pets at prices significantly lower than those charged by legitimate breeders, and place classifieds on various online platforms, including Facebook.

‘Scammers usually advertise popular breeds and since the buyer has already paid for the animal, they continue to pay the additional payments.

‘In the end, they lose thousands of rands and are left without a pet,’ said Ferreira.