CROMWELL, Conn. — Officials say there has been an increased demand for pets as people spend more time alone at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, with that demand, has also come a spike in pet scams, according to the Better Business Bureau.
The BBB serving Connecticut is warning residents that the scams include online searches that end with would-be pet owners paying hundreds of dollars or more to purchase a pet that ultimately doesn’t exist.
Officials say the people committing the fraud are telling would-be pet owners they cannot meet the animals before sending money
According to a release, the BBB Scam Tracker saw nearly 4,000 reports of pet fraud reports in 2020 from the U.S. and Canada.
Since January 1, 2020 there have been 47 reported puppy scam victims in Connecticut with a total loss of nearly $30,000, the BBB reported.
"The COVID bump is continuing into the holiday season with consumers reporting 337 complaints to BBB about puppy scams in November 2020, a dramatic increase from 77 for the same month in 2019," they continued.
Officials found that desired pet owners aged 35 to 55 accounted for half of BBB reports this year and the median loss reported to Scam Tracker is $750.
According to the report, law enforcement and consumer advocates now say a person searching online for a new pet is extremely likely to encounter a scam listing or website.
People interested in taking pets in are urged to use video conferencing to meet the animal and owner virtually before buying as a way of reducing scam vulnerability.
