‘They got me when I was vulnerable’: Scammers steal nearly £300,000 from people looking for pets during lockdown

'My daughter is struggling now because... I had to tell her some naughty person tricked us and took all the money,' victim tells Kate Ng

Fraudsters have scammed 669 people out of money by posting false adverts of puppies for sale during lockdown (Getty Images)

As many as 669 people have lost a collective total of £282,686 to scams involving pets since the coronavirus lockdown began, prompting warnings from police to be wary of pets they see being advertised online.

According to Action Fraud, reports of pet fraud have been received from all over the UK, with a spike in reports occurring in April when 524 reports were recorded.

The fake adverts were posted on social media, online selling platforms such as eBay and Gumtree, and specific pet-selling platforms.

The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) also issued advice warning people to be cautious about buying pets online after police received 10 reports of people being tricked out of their money in the past three weeks.

One person told The Independent she fell victim to a pet fraud during a particularly vulnerable period of lockdown, costing her nearly £1,000.

Sarah Thurbin, from Bedfordshire, said her five-year-old daughter had been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks since lockdown started. She said they decided to get a puppy as she previously worked with autistic children and was familiar with pet therapy.

“We had a really rough couple of days with her, and I haven’t been sleeping well. I found an advert for a puppy on Pets 4 Homes and contacted the man on the listing, who told me that because of coronavirus restrictions, they were collecting full payment before we could collect the puppy,” she told The Independent.

“That would normally have raised red flags for me, I would have never just gone with it under normal circumstances. But the lack of sleep and stress and worry about my daughter was just too much. They got me when I was vulnerable.”

Ms Thurbin sent the lister £975 last Thursday and requested more photos of the puppy and its litter, as well as a video call.

“He said he was at work and would send photos in the evening. He did send more pictures but they were all screenshots, that’s when I got suspicious and realised they were pictures taken from someone else’s advert and Google.

“I’ve now reported the incident to the bank and Action Fraud. I don’t feel great about it at all, my daughter is struggling now because I told her we were getting a puppy and then had to tell her some naughty person tricked us and took all the money,” she added.

Detective Sergeant Kieran Doyle of ERSOU’s regional economic crime unit said: “Sadly there are unscrupulous people who are looking to take advantage of the current lockdown situation by tricking people into handing over money in scams such as this one.

“Not only are people handing over large sums of money for a pet they will never receive, they also have to deal with the emotional fallout and disappointment of the situation.”

Action Fraud urges anyone who might be tempted to buy a pet through such listings to do thorough research and not to go ahead with a purchase if the seller does not allow for video calls.

Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, said: “The fact criminals will even exploit an international crisis, such as the one we find ourselves in now, to take innocent people’s money is especially cruel. But unfortunately, as we spend more time online, and are forced to adapt to a new way of life, opportunities will arise for criminals to commit fraud.

“During these unprecedented times, it may seem quite plausible that you should have to pay a deposit for a pet and that you would’t be able to see the animal in real life first. However, we would encourage you to think carefully before you transfer any money – do you know and trust this person?”

Mr Doyle added: “The fraudster may also request further fees for travel insurance, documentation or equipment. However, this never materialises.

“We’d also ask that you take the time to properly research the seller – in scams such as this the seller’s details are often like to multiple adverts on several different selling sites, which could be another red flag.”