Scams To Avoid As Seller
Always exercise caution when selling anything online, including pets. Scammers often look for ways to profit wherever sellers find success. By gaining knowledge, maintaining a healthy skepticism, and using common sense, sellers can ensure they only deal with honest people genuinely interested in their pets. Here are some common online scams and how to avoid them.
Tip: By choosing not to display your phone number publicly, you can avoid contact with scammers almost 100%, as messages through our website are filtered for spam.
Verification Code Scam
After placing an ad to sell a pet and deciding to display your phone number publicly, a scammer may contact you, claiming you need to enter a six-digit verification code to prove you’re not a scammer or a bot. Once you receive and enter the code, you’ve been scammed. The scammer can now use you to set up an online call forwarding account.
To avoid this, refuse to send any six-digit verification and forward such messages to 7726 (SPAM), as most network operators will then block the number. Learn more about reporting spam messages. If you’ve fallen victim to this scam, you should reclaim your number. Learn how to reclaim your number here.
Check Scam / Money Order Scam
Soon after placing an ad online, you may be contacted by a buyer who wants to send you a money order or cashier’s check, usually for more than your asking price. They will then use a convincing story to have you transfer the overpaid amount to someone else. The check or money order is fake, and the transferred money is lost. Forward dubious offers to 7726 (SPAM). Learn more about reporting spam messages.
The False Agent
The false agent scam is often used in conjunction with the Check Scam. A private agent appears, collects the pet after receiving a fake cashier’s check (which they know is fake because they’re in on the scam), and leaves with the pet. In another variation, the seller pays the private agent extra money that was sent to the seller to pass along to the agent.
The best way to avoid this is to not deal with private agents.
Phony Escrow Accounts
Escrow services can allow two parties to place money into an account when purchasing a pet. While this can be convenient, scammers sometimes set up their own fake escrow sites. If the buyer insists on using an escrow site or payment, the seller should find a verified escrow service on their own and use that instead.
False Representatives
In this classic scam, an individual contacts you claiming to be a representative from your bank or credit card company. You receive an email or phone call from the person, who says they suspect fraud and need you to verify your identity by providing certain information, such as your password, credit card details, or bank account information. Do not provide this information. No reputable bank, credit card company, or institution will ever ask you to divulge personal information that could be used to access your account.
The Non-Specific Buyer Scam
In this scam, you receive a non-specific message. For example, if you’re selling French Bulldogs and the potential buyer only refers to “the pet,” you might be targeted by someone sending out automated messages and not genuinely interested in buying. Avoiding this type of scam can save you time and prevent dealings with unserious buyers.
While selling to unknown individuals always carries some risks, staying cautious and informed about common scams will greatly reduce your chances of being taken advantage of, making the pet selling process easier and more rewarding for both you and the buyer.
At PetClassifieds.com, we are dedicated to fighting scammers and ensuring your online experience with us is nothing short of spectacular. While we do everything possible to keep you safe, we also encourage you to stay alert for potential scammer activity. If a scammer gets through our filters and you receive a email message from a scammer through our site, please report the user to us here.