Scam Type
Online Purchase Scam
Business Name Used
Pet Scam
Date Reported
September 24, 2024
Postal Code
17015
Total Dollars Lost
$ 350
Scam Description
I’ve been looking for an Oriental Shorthair kitten and came across this site. I sent in a query about one of their current listings. “Phil” texted me back shortly afterwards. He introduced himself as Phil Adams. In this same text he attached his website like and also his FB Media Platform Address. I told him which kitten I was looking at and asked if we could visit the kitten before committing to buying her and asked where they were located. He then asked me where I was and I told him my state. He then said OK, we are here in Norfolk Virginia and asked if I would be able to drive to pick up the kitten. I said if we adopt her yes, we can. I’d like to meet her first though and I asked how old she was. He said Yes that’s fine. He told me she was 9 weeks old. I then asked how old they need to be to bring them home. He said she was ready to go. At that point he sent me a few more pictures one of which had this kitten with a more mature cat that I assumed was its mom. He also sent me a blurb about this kitty. I told him I needed to speak with my husband. I then asked the following. “Can I ask you why you guys only charge $900 for your cats when all the other one’s i’ve been finding online are closer to $3000. He said i have to understand that not everyone is at the same income level and they try to make it affordable since they aren’t targeting the rich but more of the pet loving families.: He then said he has a job and breeding is just something he picked up from his dad. After I discussed this with my husband we agreed i’d take a look at the kitty. I texted Phil and told him this. He said this sounded good and told me I’d have to make a deposit for reservations. I asked how much and if I do it on the website. He said no the website is only for advertisement. He said they accept Zelle, Chime or Apple Pay. He then sent me an apple pay number to forward my money too.
I feel like a fool, he told me that since this is our first transaction sending via Apple Pay that I might get a security alert that pops up and that if it happens to please understand it’s a precaution. He asked that i send him a screen shot of the payment so it will attached to my file. I told him i was working on getting it set up and while i was doing that if he could send me the address that i’d be coming too, to see this kitten. I also mentioned that it made me nervous sending him money with the fraud alert popping up. And he said that’s why i wanted to tell you about it before it happen. I then asked again for the address i was coming to before sending the money. He gave me an address in Norfolk that I did look up and it was a real address. He said we normally send the address after the deposit not before but it’s all good though.
I foolishly sent the money. The next day (today) I tried to reach out to find out what kind of litter and food that this kitten was using so i could be better prepared if we decided to bring her home. I’ve gotten no reply. I began doing the research I should have done in the first place. Sadly that’s when I came across the BBB site with someone else that has had a similar experience with “Phil”.
PET SCAM INFORMATION
BBB notes: If you feel you are a victim of an online pet or pet transportation scam, BBB encourages you to file a complaint and/or customer review at www.bbb.org/Norfolk, with the Virginia Attorney General’s office at https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumer-protection/index.php/file-a-complaint, as well as report your experience to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov and the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.
