Heads up to anyone in Canada considering picking up a new pet online! The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and several animal welfare organizations are issuing some severe warnings regarding an enormous spike in online scams focusing on individuals similar to you. These scammers are taking advantage of your feelings, particularly if you’re getting excited about obtaining a new best friend, and they’re mostly leaving people financially out of pocket and very disheartened.

It seems like these scammers in Canada are employing all kinds of tricks, capitalizing on how many people desire pets, particularly those in-demand breeds, and how convenient it is to link up online. These scams are taking place everywhere in Canada, in large cities and small towns.

How These Pet Scammers in Canada Attempt to Deceive You:

• “Free” or Super Bargain Pets with Hidden Fees: They’ll then post pets that appear free or very inexpensive, particularly those cute little breeds like English or French Bulldogs. However, when you contact them, they’ll conjure up all these charges for things such as transport, shipping crates, insurance, shots, or even “COVID safety” and will get you to advance them the funds.
• Asking for Money Before You Even Get to See the Pet: A big red flag in Canada is when the “seller” will not meet you face to face or even do a video call so you can see the animal. They’ll just talk to you online by texts or emails, so you can’t actually verify if the pet is genuine or if the seller is real.
• Fake Images and Videos: Such Canadian scammers usually steal cute images and videos of puppies or kittens from other websites or social media. It is usually easy to verify if the images are fake by conducting an online reverse image search.
• Pressuring You and Manipulating Your Emotions: They’ll usually tell you that other individuals are very interested in the pet to get you to feel like you need to send money quickly to “hold” the animal. They may also fabricate sad tales about why the pet truly needs a new home immediately.
• Weird Ways to Pay: Real breeders and shelters in Canada typically accept safe payments such as credit cards or e-transfers from banks. Scammers will ask you to use untraceable services such as wire transfers (such as Western Union or MoneyGram), gift cards, or those cash apps, which aren’t really secure for you as a buyer.
• Phony Shipping Companies: Some of these Canadian scams are even quite sophisticated, with phony websites or emails posing as legitimate pet transport firms to get you to pay for nonexistent shipping.

The Sad Thing About These Canadian Scams:

It’s not merely a matter of losing money. People get enormously emotionally attached to acquiring a new pet, and it’s tragic and feels like a betrayal when they find they’ve been duped.

What Canadians Can Do to Protect Themselves Against These Internet Pet Scams:

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and Canadian animal welfare agencies are warning everyone to be extremely cautious when searching for pets on the internet and to be on the lookout for these red flags:

If a price appears too good to be true, it likely is. Purebred puppies or kittens that are considerably less expensive than they normally are are usually an attempt to bait you in. Never pay someone without seeing the pet in front of you or at least during a live video call. Honest breeders and shelters in Canada will always have you meet the animal.

• Be wary of those who rush you to make a decision or pay money immediately.
• Don’t work with individuals who insist on getting paid by wire transfer, gift cards, or cash apps.
• Actually research the seller or breeder. Find reviews, observe when their site was established, and attempt to verify their contact information is actual.
• Consider adopting from your local animal shelters or qualified rescue groups in Canada. They have procedures in place, and you can generally meet the animal prior to adoption.
• Request references from individuals who purchased animals from them in the past or from their veterinarian, and actually verify those references.
• Follow your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right or too good to be true, then most likely it is a scam.

If You Get Scammed in Canada:

If you believe you’ve been a victim of one of these internet pet scams in Canada, it’s absolutely necessary to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or via their online reporting system. Reporting assists them in monitoring these scams and perhaps prevent others from falling victim.

This surge in online pet scams in Canada indicates that we all have to be a little more watchful and aware when we’re seeking a new furry family member online. If Canadians are aware of what to watch for, they can avoid getting scammed and losing money and enduring a whole lot of emotional suffering.

Also visit: Pet Ownership Costs Climb in Canada: 2025 Insights