Overview
The victim expects to adopt a pet.
How It Works
The victim finds a breeder/seller of pets on social media or through an advertisement.
The scammer usually has a website claiming to be a reputable breeder, featuring customer testimonials and pictures of adoptable pets.
The scam is that the fraudster will claim to only be able to ship the pet and there will be an ever-increasing list of fees associated with preparing the pet for shipment (advance fee scheme). Ultimately the pet will never arrive.
Related Articles
How to Spot a Puppy Scam, American Kennel Club
Puppy Scams Study Materials, Better Business Bureau
Related Crime Schemes
A particular instance of this scam may embed one or more of these related schemes.
Advance Fee Scheme: In an advance fee scheme, the scammer asks for a small upfront fee in advance of providing a larger payout later. In reality, the larger payout never arrives.
Bait and Switch: A bait and switch is a scheme that makes a promise of one item but delivers a different, lesser-valued item.
Fraudulent Platform: Any scheme that relies on custom built software that assists the crime. Includes fraudulent trading platforms, fraudulent clickworking platforms, and the like.
Holding Fee: A scheme in which the victim is asked to pay a holding fee to reserve a product or to hold their spot. The fee is often unwarranted, never reimbursed, or does not lead to any advantage for the victim.
Victim Targeting Context
The scammer may use one or more of the following techniques to reach the victim.
Advertising: The scammer uses advertising to passively reach the victim.
Social Engineering: Psychological Manipulations
The scammer may use one or more of these psychological techniques to accomplish the scam.
Guilt: The scammer tries to make victim feel guilt or pity toward scammer or others.
Not A Scam: The scammer goes to great lengths to convince the victim the scheme is not a scam.
Scarcity: The scammer claims there is a limited opportunity for the benefits from the scam.
Sunk Costs: The scammer concocts a scenario where the victim will lose everything they've earned so far if they don't keep going with the scam, claims "you've already invested and you'll lose it all".
Urgency: The scammer employs urgency to increase the likelihood that the victim will take action.
Social Engineering: Impersonation Techniques
The scammer may impersonate one or more of the following groups as part of the scam.
Business or NonProfit: The scammer impersonates a business or nonprofit.
Catfishing: The scammer creates a fictitious online profile or persona.