The animal charity shared a warning for pet lovers who use social media
Dogs Trust has shared a ‘warning’ alert for pet owners who use social media. Issuing an urgent message, the animal charity said it has seen ‘a rise in scammers impersonating our rehoming centres’, which has reportedly caused heartbreak for some victims.
Dogs Trust believes scammers are using various social media platforms to request money from pet lovers, targeting people who are trying to help rescue dogs find their forever homes. Sharing advice for followers, the charity wrote: “Warning: We have seen a rise in Facebook scammers impersonating our rehoming centres.”
Dogs Trust reported how a family had fallen victim to a scam, prompting it to issue a ‘red flag’ alert. It added: “Unfortunately, a family recently turned up at one of our centres to meet a fake dog, after sending an account money to ‘reserve’ them.”
Dogs Trust added that there are ‘warning signs’ animal lovers can look out for, reports the Mirror. While Dogs Trust mentioned Facebook in its post, scams can occur almost anywhere online, including on many other social media apps.
The charity continued: “We will never send you a friend request on Facebook. We won’t ask for payment prior to meeting a dog to reserve them. If you haven’t submitted an application on our website, we will not contact you about a dog.”
Dogs Trust explained: “We will either phone or email you if we think we have found you a match. If you need to contact us about your application, please do get in touch directly via the ‘contact us’ section on our website.”
The charity said anyone interested in learning more about the rehoming process can find advice on its website. People are urged to report any suspicious behaviour. Concluding the post, Dogs Trust urged: “If you spot or are contacted by a suspicious account, please do report it on Facebook.”
The Facebook Help Centre offers advice on avoiding scams on the platform. It also warns people that scammers could create fake accounts and urges the public to report any suspicious behaviour.
On the page, Facebook said: “If you see something on Facebook that you think is a scam, please report it to us. Your experience on Facebook should be safe and secure. We remove content that purposefully deceives, wilfully misrepresents, or otherwise defrauds or exploits people for money or property.”
Sharing more information about how scammers may target people on the platform, Facebook added: “Scammers target people to trick them into giving away money or sensitive information. Think of emails that offer a quick-and-easy investment scheme or an urgent text message from someone claiming to be a friend in need, or a phishing email claiming to come from Meta to alert you of issues with your account and asking you to immediately click on a link to learn more.
“They may create fake accounts pretending to be someone they are not or compromising existing social media accounts to try to deceive or defraud you or your friends out of money, personal information or access to your account(s).”
People should always be careful when using social media, as scammers can operate on any platform. If you’re not sure about something you have seen online, it’s always worth pausing before making a decision.
What are the warning signs of a scam?
In the UK, social media scams usually use high-pressure tactics, offers that seem too good to be true (like cheap tickets that are sold out), and often ask for money via bank transfer. Some important warning signs to look out for are receiving messages you didn’t ask for, being pushed to act fast, poor spelling or grammar, and profiles with little activity or that use stolen pictures.
Advice from Dogs Trust and Facebook
A spokesperson for Dogs Trust told the Mirror: “Sadly, scammers are increasingly exploiting people’s love for dogs, and it’s heartbreaking to see people targeted in this way. We work hard to protect dog welfare and to do the right thing by both dogs and adopters, which is why it’s especially upsetting when scammers misuse our name and reputation to gain trust.
“Please always do your research and trust your instincts, and if something doesn’t feel right or sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Dogs Trust and other reputable organisations will never send Facebook friend requests, never ask for money to reserve a dog, and we will only contact you if you’ve applied through our website. We’ll always phone or email directly.
“And, you should never pay upfront for a dog you haven’t met. Any legitimate organisation or breeder will encourage you to meet the dog in person, provide full background and veterinary information, and answer questions openly.”
Facebook told the Mirror it does not allow fraudulent activity and works closely with law enforcement to support investigations and Stop Scams UK to help identify scams at the source. People who impersonate others on Facebook will violate its policies, and the content will be removed when it is found.
If someone believes they have spotted content or an account they believe to be fake, they can report it using in-app tools. Facebook has a top tips page for spotting scams.
What to do if you think you’ve been a victim of a scam
If you think you have been scammed in the UK, you should contact your bank immediately to freeze your accounts. Also, report the scam to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or going online.
To contact your bank safely, call 159. Make sure to change all your passwords that might be at risk right away. If you see any phishing attempts, report them to report@phishing.gov.uk. If the scammer is nearby, you can also call the police at 101.
