10/08/2024
Posted by a fellow breeder:
Time to remind all those who might be searching for a kitten to be very aware of the scam artists out there. Their sophistication has grown and I've had a significant amount of people approach me having already been scammed at least once.
Just by doing a quick internet search I found 3 obvious scam websites and thought I would share how a scam looks. People that may have just lost their beloved Burmese and overcome with grief and emotion are their prey. They promise immediate delivery and ALWAYS have kittens available no matter when you check with them.
How can you tell they are a scam? There are several signs that give it away.
1. There is no name of the owner of the cattery anywhere.
2. There is no location specified of the cattery. If you contact them to ask they will tell you they are nearby to whatever country you happen to be in.
3. They will never let you visit to choose a kitten or see the cattery. Kittens are only "shipped" to you.
4. Kittens are ALWAYS available. If you watch their kitten listings the kittens never change and never get any older (an amazing feat).
5. Prices are listed 50% or so below market value. They lure people in with the false promise of a cheap available kitten.
6. They have a Testimonials section. This has become commonplace on the scam websites. All testimonials are false and made up.
7. Pictures of the kittens will be on different backgrounds, clearly taken in different places. These are all stolen pictures from the internet. Often they put pictures of kittens that are not even Burmese or will talk about "puppies".
Naturally these are only some warning signs but the main message is if it is too good to be true - then it is NOT true. Stop, ask questions, go slow, do not be pressured to send a deposit immediately to "hold shipping" for a kitten.
Take a look at these websites and you'll spot the issues and commonalities as you browse. These will eventually disappear and new ones will take their place. But it is the same scam. There are no kittens, there is no cattery. Please be careful.
http://burmese-cattery.company.com/
https://skyviewburmesehaven.com/
https://kittenbreedersshop.com/product/burmese-kittens/
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