A university neuroscientist has shared her story to stop others falling victim to pet fraud during lockdown.
There has been a national increase in reports of scams involving pets – where animals are offered for sale and never materialise once the money is paid. Action Fraud has reported that 669 people looking for pets across the country were defrauded of nearly £300,000 during March and April.
Nottinghamshire Police has also noticed a growing trend, with reports increasing from roughly 1 or two cases a month before March to between 20 – 30 cases a month since the Government’s guidance came into place. There were three incidents reported over the early May Bank Holiday alone.
Jessica Andrews, who lives in Beeston, lost £300 trying to buy a kitten online. Dr Andrews said: “Normally we’d get a kitten from a shelter but they were all closed because of the lockdown.”
The seller sent photos of the kitten and said that it wasn’t possible to meet in person because of the lockdown. But once Dr Andrews sent the money, the kitten never arrived.
She said: “You feel under pressure and like you’re forced to pay. Everything got very dark from that moment. They started asking for more money and I realised that they didn’t have a kitten. The seller threatened me, saying I had to pay more money or I would be abandoning the cat. When I refused they said they would call the police – it was really bad.”
Dr Andrews contacted her bank and reported the incident to Nottinghamshire Police. Police have reported the website to the National Cyber Security Centre.
“It was very upsetting when I realised what had happened. It wasn’t about the money, but I’d already bought toys for him, and food. The scammers are playing with the vulnerability of the situation”, she said.
“A lot of people – especially older people – are more vulnerable at the moment, and when people are desperate they will make silly decisions. These people are very good at scamming. They threaten you and keep coming up with reasons for more money.”
Dr Andrews has advice for people using selling sites. She said: “We need to take the power back – we’re the ones doing the shopping, not them. If they don’t like it, you can go elsewhere.”
Dr Andrews and her husband had been thinking about getting a kitten for some time, but had decided to wait until Spring while they did some work on their house. They have since bought a kitten from a reputable website (pictured above with Dr Andrews). “I made it clear to the owners I wouldn’t pay anything up front. I said ‘give me the cat, and I’ll pay you’. They were very understanding,” she said.
“We called him Newton, because we’re both scientists and we could tell he was very bright immediately. He’s beautiful and he has a great personality. He’s so fun and a very loving kitten – you can tell he’s come from a loving and decent family.”
Fraud and Cyber Protect Officer, Laura Murdock, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “A lot of people who have been thinking about getting pets are deciding that lockdown is a good time to be able to settle them in. It’s terrible that fraudsters are once again targeting people’s vulnerabilities by exploiting those looking to add a much loved animal to their family.
“Our advice is never to send money via bank transfer to someone you don’t know. If you do want to purchase a pet, make sure you do your research. We would also recommend that you contact rescue and adoption agencies where possible.
“We will continue to raise awareness of these scams so that we can prevent people from becoming victims in the future.
