Pet Scams & Pet Travel Scams
On the rise!
In today's digital world, there are no limits to how far a scammer will go, or who they will choose to be their next victim. We in the pet travel industry have been seeing a surge in pet scams yearly, the scammers will mimic our websites to offer the sell or adoption of designer puppies, extremely low "transportation" quotes, and fraudulent use of IPATA member company logo's are only some of the ways that these con artists present pet travel scams and lure pet owners into their scams. The best way to avoid being scammed by these individuals is to evaluate all aspects of their communication with you. Below are warning signs that you should look at to avoid being duped by these unscrupulous individuals. Be careful when you are hiring a pet transportation service and ask probing questions.
1. Discounted Price and Additional Money
The first sign to the most frequent pet scams is the free or cheap price that the pet is listed at. These scammers will list the pets with a low cost, and once you have committed to the purchase they will then begin requesting "additional fees," such as; airline baggage fee, vaccine cost, health certificates, and an airline ticket cost if the puppy is listed as too young to fly alone. A puppy that was originally listed as $200 has then turned to $3,000 within a few emails. A statement from IPATA explains that it becomes even worse when you refuse to pay the additional funds, "They will even try to convince you that if you do not send them additional money they will report you for animal abandonment to the authorities." This may scare you into complying, but the first thing you should do is contact your local authorities and send all information to petscams@ipata.org
2. Money Order or Gift Card request
A common request from scammers is to send them funds via a Money Order, or a Wal Mart giftcard. No reputable breeder, nor pet transportation company, will never ask for funds in this way! If this is requested of you, you are more than likely involved in a pet scam.
3. Email address being used
The most common occurrence is the fraudulent direct copy of IPATA members' company logo's and email addresses. These scammers create a site with close to direct copy and paste information of a reputable company's original site, making you believe at first glance that they are trustworthy and legitamite. If a website states that they are members of IPATA, or have the IPATA logo listed on their site, please go directly to IPATA.org to search the company and verify general contact information.
4. TTAGGS does not sell or trade any pets!
Please be aware, TTAGGS is solely a pet transportation service, and does not partake in the selling or trade of any pets! If you are in contact with someone saying they are a representative of TTAGGS, and they are selling you a pet, you are being scammed. You may contact us directly at petdesk@ttaggstransport.com and we will assist you as much as we can, but we cannot help in any funds that may have already been lost in the transaction up to that point.