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Beware of Pet Scammers

You may have encountered some odd e-mails or read some strange ads on the site recently. Unfortunately, many of the ads on the site are sent by scammers from out of the country that lure buyers and sellers with what may look like great deals. These scams usually involve a desperate buyer who will do anything to buy your pet, and often they will give themselves away with poor written English skills, or overly formal written language. Watch out for both styles! And watch out for desperate sellers too. Sometimes their ads get past our filter, and may look seemingly real, though they usually feature ads for the most popular breeds at the lowest price. These sellers are usually just trying to unload a scam. Never deal with anyone far away, especially in International locations, there's a 99.9% chance it's a scam.

Most of these scams come from Africa, and most of these ads involve popular breeds such as yorkies, bulldogs, and expensive birds. They usually ask for a money order or cashiers check, and never put up their end of the bargain. Some of these scammers are good, and some are American, so they're English is perfect, and they may come off as genuine buyers/sellers. The best way to protect yourself from these scams is to use a payment method that has protection, or better yet, to meet the person buying/selling. This is after all a living pet, so you should see the pet in person before making any serious decisions. Meeting the seller/buyer in person will eliminate up to 99% of the problem, and is the best practice to avoid a scam. If a buyer/seller is very hesitant to meet face-to-face, you're likely dealing with a scammer. NEVER give out any of your financial information, including Paypal information and other online financial details. NEVER wire funds using Western Union or Moneygram. And know that often cashiers checks and money orders turn out to be fake, even weeks after your bank cashed them. And they will ask you to pay the money back.

One last thing. No deal is too good to be true, and no deal is a guarantee. You won't find a yorkie or a bulldog for $200 when they normally sell for $1,000. Use common sense, and be cautious as you would in any financial transaction. Many of these scammers are relentless, and will do anything to get your money. If you think you've got a scam on your hands, contact the FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357) or visit them at the FTC, or Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IC3.gov). Remember, Petsell.com is not involved in any transactions, and does not handle any payments, guarantee any transactions, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"!

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