The Better Business Bureau says their reports reveal thousands of fake websites and social media pages for pet scams, including many where scammers have stolen a legitimate business’ identity to fool potential buyers.
Since 2022, there have been 80 reports of pet scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker in Connecticut. Nationwide, median losses top several hundred dollars, but in Connecticut, the average victim lost $1,100, with 22 residents reporting to have lost over $1,000. The largest single dollar amount lost was reported by a Manchester woman:
“I tried to get a Maine coon kitten online through permainecoonkittens.com based out of Oklahoma. He said he was going to ship the kitten but on the day of the shipping a carrier company called me and said I had to pay $1600 for a special crate for the cat to fly. Once I paid that then there was a $2000 certificate of health fee and then there was another $3000 cargo fee and it kept going up from there.”
She told BBB that the scammer was, “very convincing,” adding that due to the cost of the cat she was instructed to open a separate bank account and fill out a special form for the IRS.
She says the scammer also threatened her with a fine for abandoning the cat when she tried to walk away from the purchase.
In the end, she lost $42,000. Although an inheritance covered part of the cost, she was out the rest of the money.
“In my head, I had just lost my cat in December and he just took gross advantage of me,” the victim told BBB Serving CT. “It was devastating because this money wasn’t supposed to be used for this.”
Another Connecticut resident reported that a scammer took more than $3,100 from him as he was trying to surprise his family with an early Christmas present after the loss of their family dog.
“I proceeded to pay $1,180.00 for the shipping and purchase of a dog, and I signed paperwork for an owner transfer. George assured me the dog would be shipped to an airport in New York for pick-up. However, he later changed the story, claiming he was using “FastBookAirlines.com” for shipping. I then received an email from FastBook Airlines requesting additional money for insurance. Not realizing this was a scam, I complied. This experience has caused significant emotional and financial distress,” said the Bridgeport man.
Nationally, the number of pet scams is trending slightly down in 2025 compared to 2024, but December and January have typically brought in the highest amount of scam reports related to pet purchases, with hundreds more rolling in within the holiday months.
Red flags of a pet scam include:
- Popular breeds are available for incredibly low prices.
- The seller refuses to meet in person or take a video call.
- Extra charges for cages, vaccinations and other shipping costs.
- The word “teacup” is used in an advertisement.
- High-pressure tactics are meant to make the buyer think the animal will be harmed.
BBB has tips to avoid pet scams:
- See pets in person. Most scams are not sophisticated enough to fake out an in-person meeting. Video calls can also be a strong deterrent against fraud in nearly all cases.
- Use reverse image search. Many scam websites are impersonations of real businesses. Search the photos used online or sent to you to see if they appear anywhere else online.
- Understand market prices. Many pet scams offer animals at deep discounts. Knowing what an animal should cost can help raise alarm bells if a price is suspiciously low.
- Check out your local shelter. An in-person visit to a local shelter can be a surefire way to avoid scams.
*Report scams to BBB’s Scam Tracker: bbb.org/scamtracker
See also:
It’s Raining Kittens and Cats at Greenwich Animal Control
November 2025