There have always been scams involving the sale of puppies and kittens but currently there are more, due to the social distancing rules that mean prospective buyers cannot visit to view the kittens or puppies and scammers are taking advantage of this.

The scammers offer animals for sale and you pay a deposit, but the animals are never delivered.

It’s always better to either wait until it is possible to view the animals or for someone on your behalf to view the animals but in current circumstances that is not always possible.

If you do choose to buy an animal seen only by photograph or recorded video, then take whatever steps you can to ensure the seller is genuine and that your payment is protected.

• Insist on a Live view of the animal e.g. using Facebook Live or Zoom or similar video conferencing services
• Verify the track record of the seller
• Select a seller close to your location
• Verify that payment details for the seller match the company name and address
• Do not make full payment until the animal has been received and is what you expect

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