With a global pandemic lurking just outside the door, millions of people find themselves isolated from loved ones during the holiday season. So, what better way is there to combat loneliness than to bring a pet home?

Unfortunately, with increased pet adoptions, internet scammers are finding more opportunities to take advantage of the situation. “Pet scamming” happens when interested parties buy pets online, only to discover that the animal they wanted never existed. Oftentimes, scammers come up with convincing reasons as to why the potential adopters can’t meet the pet, and the COVID-19 outbreak has made this even easier due to the limit on human interaction. This heartbreaking scheme is predicted to make $3.1 million dollars by the end of 2020.  

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), despite the fact that pet scams have begun to peak during the pandemic, they have long existed. On average, a person loses about $700 to these tough-to-spot deceptions. Pet scams now make up about 24% of all online frauds, and have increased by 17% since 2019. “You could probably double those numbers and be safe, because oftentimes people will be too embarrassed to report it,” says Nichole Thomas, a communications director for the BBB. 

And these numbers will only get worse as the holidays roll around. “New pets are very common holiday gifts, and people look at being home as an opportunity to get a new puppy or kitten, whereas it would be a hindrance if they weren’t at home as often,” Thomas adds. 

But if you are thinking of adopting a coronavirus companion, don’t get cold feet. Instead of buying an animal, the BBB suggests visiting your local shelter. That way, you can get to know the animal before you adopt and avoid falling victim to pet scams. It also makes a significant impact- choosing an animal from a shelter can save them from getting euthanized and change their lives for the better. So if you do decide to bring a new pet home, adopting from a shelter is a much better alternative than buying one online.

 

written by Keerthi Selvam

edited by Saanvi Gutta and Ananya Balachander

 

 

Resources:

BBB Warning: Puppy Scam Reports Skyrocket During COVID-19 Pandemic. (2020, August 26). Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22363-is-that-quarantine-puppy-real-puppy-scam-reports-skyrocket-during-covid-19-pandemic-bbb-warns

Addy, J. (2020, December 10). As Puppy Scams Peak, Adopt A Pet Instead At A Shelter In Batavia. Retrieved December 11, 2020, from https://patch.com/illinois/batavia/puppy-scams-peak-adopt-pet-instead-shelter-batavia