Pet Deposit Before You Visit? Scam
The puppy photos are adorable, the price is great, but the seller needs a deposit before you can visit — they're 'too busy' for visitors this week. The pet usually doesn't exist; the photos are stolen from real breeders. Deposits wired to strangers for unseen animals are donations to scammers.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Sellers demanding a deposit before you can visit the puppy or kitten are usually scammers — the pet often does not exist. Never wire money for a pet you have not met; meet in person first and pay at pickup. Reverse-image-search the pet photos to expose stolen listings.
Follow these steps
- Reverse-image-search the photos. Save the pet photos and search them. Photos appearing on breeder sites under different names — or as stock — expose the listing instantly.
- Insist on visiting first. Real breeders welcome visits; scammers always have reasons you can't come. No visit, no deposit — see the rental parallel for the identical script.
- Never wire money for an unseen animal. Wire transfers, gift cards, and crypto are unrecoverable. Legitimate breeders take normal payments at pickup or via protected methods.
- Meet in a safe place. Visit the breeder's home or facility, or meet at a vet's office. Parking-lot handoffs for purebred puppies deserve extra skepticism.
- Ask for vet records and references. Real breeders have vaccination records, vet contacts, and past buyers who'll vouch. Scammers produce excuses, not paperwork.
- Report the listing. Report to the marketplace platform and the FTC. Stolen-photo pet listings get removed only when flagged.
What NOT to do
- Do not pay a deposit to 'hold' a pet you've never seen. Holding fees for phantom animals are the scam's entire revenue.
- Do not trust extra fees after the deposit. 'Shipping crates,' 'insurance,' 'special food' — each new fee is another harvest from the same victim.
- Do not send ID photos to the 'breeder.' Scammers harvest IDs for identity theft alongside the deposit theft.
- Do not ignore the too-good price. Purebred puppies at half market price are bait — real breeders know what their animals are worth.
Frequently asked questions
Are all online pet sellers scams?
No — many legitimate breeders advertise online. The test is transparency: visits welcome, vet records provided, payment at pickup.
What about pet shipping services?
Real ones exist, but scammers invent fake shippers demanding fees. Verify any shipper independently — never through the seller's links.
I sent a deposit — can I recover it?
Wire and gift card payments are nearly impossible to reverse. Report to your bank, the platform, and law enforcement immediately.