Pet Transport Scams

One bright morning, many years ago, Diana picked up the phone to an excited flurry of words from a client.
“Diana, hello! I’m calling from Bryanston about my pedigree staffie pup being delivered today from Cape Town; what time can I expect you?” Diana took a mental gulp and speedily ran through her list of clients. Something was definitely wrong; she knew she had absolutely no staffie pups on her books. Diana started asking questions. When she heard parts of the story, she realised her caller was the target of a scam. She had some convincing to do, however, as the emotional caller was absolutely convinced that Animal Travel had handled her pet transportation. Little did Diana know that the day marked the start of a long and ongoing battle between Animal Travel and pet transport scammers. 

Anatomy of a Pet Transport Scam

You’ll find the adverts in a newspaper or on the internet. A valuable, pedigreed or exotic pet, it announces, needs a home so desperately that its available to you, free of charge. Whether a rare breed of dog, a monkey or macaw, it would be a tragedy to put down such a magnificent creature. The pet is yours as long as you pay for delivery; the pet transport company airfreight costs. 

You dial the cell phone number, but no-one answers. Before long you get a call back from another cell phone number. Despite being a reputable pet transport company, no, unfortinately, they do not have landline number at present. Upon excitedly asking questions about your new pet, you are reffered to another cell phone number to speak to the animal breeder who assures you the animal is of the highest pedigree, or of the rarest nature and it would indeed be a tragedy to put it down. You offer to drive the long distance and collect the animal yourself and are talked out of your foolishness! The animal is so precious it must be transported correctly, under proper supervision. Of course, the airfreight cost is such a small price to pay for something so valuable, and despite the bank tranfer details being a little strange, you pay.  And how wonderful! You receive the thank you email, reminding you what a loving and fantastic person you must be to save this animal, and attached are some heart warming pictures of ‘Pookie’ or ‘Pudgie’; your new pet. 

A day or so later, however, the second email arrives pointing out an unforseen problem. The airline, it seems, simply will not send such a precious animal without the correct insurance. You hesitate and are told that a person from their company will be with the animal for the duration of the flight, overseeing their care. The CITES certificate is already filled out in your name. And additionally, you’re running out of time to save the animal at all. Sounding logical, you pay the additional sum of money to cover the ‘insurance charges’.

You’re given the relevant contact details of the agent of the pet transport company, and the exciting date of arrival. On that morning, you dial the number, feeling the warmth and happiness of your good deed, and aniticipation about your gorgeous new pet.. to find that no-one has ever heard of you, or your pet. In fact, the pet never existed and you’ve just been scammed.

How do You Tell The Difference Between a Scam and an Animal in Need?

Only a company with long-term experience in the field will be able to catch out a scammer. Animal Travel instantly picks up discrepancies, such as:

1. An exotic or pedigreed pet would never be put down – it is simply too valuable
2. People are not allowed in an airplane cargo hold
3. No animal transport company would dissuade you from collecting an animal yourself
4. It is neither legal nor possible to insure an animal for freight travel in South Africa
5. Pet transport companies know one another from years in the field and will know a fly-by-night name instantly, for example Animal Travel encountered a fake company ‘Pet Flights’ who scammed a lovely lady R8500 for two mythical puppies, sometime last year. 
6. Reputable companies also know the genuine contact details of all the other real animal transportation companies. Animal Travel itself has had its entire website duplicated, and logo’s used on emails, but with fake cell phone numbers as the contact point
7. No establiched company will operate only through cell phones or use non standard banking practices such as using a Western Union bank account, or insist on an ABSA to ABSA transfer only, for example

This scam relies on six things. First, the rush of emotion of an animal lover to save a threatened animal. Secondly, the sense of getting a bargain by paying so little for such a valuable pet. Third, with the insurance scam, when you’ve paid once its easier to pay a second time. Four, that unless you’ve transported pets already, you will not know the proper procedures, such as getting quotations, updates and having working hour access to your assigned agent on fax, email and landline telephone numbers. Five, that the pictures will keep you believing that the animal exists. Animal Travel has had concerned callers who have simply refused to believe that they are being scammed, since they saw the photographs. And finally, since the scammers operate on cell phones, there’s no way to trace them once they disappear with your money.  

No one should be penalised for giving an animal in need a good home.  But unfortunately pet transport scammers are even more active these days than when they started fifteen years ago. If buying a pet from a classified ad its essential that you find a way to cross-reference the information you have with a proffessional animal transport company. Be careful not to become another in a long line of very disappointed animal lovers, with a depleted bank balance.

Contact Animal Travel for all Pet Transport connected to South Africa, if you fear you may be the victim of a scam.