The Pet Adoption Scam actually pre-dates the Internet (versions included using a PO Box or in slightly later versions, a burner phone number), but modern technology has made it more common.

This scam is simple - scammers put up a website or a listing to sell a (purebred) pet. Sometimes they respond to “pet wanted” listings. The pets are always cheaper than they should be for their status - even pet-quality purebred animals are not cheap. You are asked to pay a certain amount for the pet, including the fees to ship it to you - for the person doing the selling is never local. This seller never communicates with you via phone or video chat and you cannot come to them.

Inevitably, they ask you to make payment via wire transfer or something else not easily recoverable for the pet, and then make excuses as to why you need to pay more and more and more. No fuzzy companion (most of these scams are for cats/dogs/kittens/puppies) exists.

How to protect yourself
Research how much an animal of this breed costs and consider any amount lower than this to be a red flag. Never, ever buy an animal you haven’t met. You don’t have to go to the breeder, but you do have to demand a video call to meet the prospective animal. At the very least, you need to speak to a live person (this may not work if the scammer uses a local accent). Don’t use an irreversable payment method such as wire transfer. Ask for the animal’s papers and about the animal’s parents. Reverse image search any pictures sent to you or that are on a website.

If anything seems like a red flag - even if other things don’t seem like red flags - don’t pay anything until you can research to your satisfaction.

Ideally, check for an animal of the same breed or a lookalike at your local shelters first. Then maybe check the national association for that animal’s breeders for registered breeders to contact. If the potential scammer is impersonating a legit breeder, contact that breeder. You’ll find an animal you love eventually, and it will definitely appreciate you having to spend the money on it instead of a scammer.