Report a pet scam

What you need to consider

Whether you buy or adopt a pet, it can be a big investment of time, money and emotions. Saying goodbye to a pet because it's sick or you cannot afford to look after it can also be distressing. 

Before you buy a pet it's important to:

• be prepared for the cost of owning a pet
• understand your rights as a consumer
• research the breeder or business to avoid being scammed.

Consumer protection for pet buyers

Buying from a breeder

When buying a dog or cat from a business such as a breeder, make sure they are a responsible and registered breeder. 

If you buy a pet from a business it comes with automatic consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law.

To make a complaint about a purchase from a business, visit Buying a pet – NSW Fair Trading.

How to recognise a pet scam

There are many types of pet scams. Examples include: 

• you receive a different animal to the one you agreed to buy, or
• the seller takes your money and you do not receive the animal at all.

Be careful and ask questions

Like other types of scams, be careful of ads on websites, social media platforms and in newspapers from pet sellers that seem too good to be true. 

Questions to ask or issues to check:

• ask for photos and check the photos are real and not fake (you can do a reverse image search to see if the photo is used on multiple sites, indicating it may be a fake)
• you've been asked to pay money for the dog or cat before you've seen it in person
• you've been asked to meet in an unexpected location (like a park or public space)
• the price is lower than expected
• you've been asked to pay the full amount upfront.

Before you hand over money

Before you pay any money, be sure that:

• you're allowed to see the animal
• you've been able to talk in depth with the breeder or seller before placing a deposit
• you're comfortable placing a deposit if requested
• the breeder or seller will provide you with a documented receipt of money paid
• the animal microchip numbers are valid when you complete a search on the NSW Pet Registry
• you're buying directly from the breeder and not someone on-selling the animal.

Report a scam

It is often difficult to get money back once it's given to scammers, but if you think you've been scammed:

• contact your financial institution as soon as possible
• report the issue to Scamwatch to warn others.

Online form

You can fill in a form on the Scamwatch website to report a pet scam. 

Your report will help the Australian Government to stop scammers and warn others.