Manchester Woman Bilked Out Of $42K In Pet Scam: BBB

CONNECTICUT — A Manchester woman lost $42,000 to scammers while trying to get a Maine Coon kitten via a website.

And she isn’t alone in having a bad experience.

The Better Business Bureau reports there have been 80 Connecticut cases of pet scams reported to its Scam Tracker since 2022.

The average Connecticut victim lost about $1,100.

In the Manchester case, the woman tried to get the kitten through permainecoonkittens.com, which claimed to be based in Oklahoma.

On the day of shipping, a carrier company called her and told her she had to pay $1,600 for a special crate for the cat to fly. Then she was charged a $2,000 certificate of health fee, and then a $3,000 cargo fee.

“It kept going up from there,” the victim reported.

When she tried to back out of the purchase, she was threatened with a fine for abandoning the cat. Ultimately, she lost $42,000, and she described the whole experience as “devastating.”

A Bridgeport resident lost $3,100 to a scammer while trying to surprise his family with a new pet as an early Christmas present after the loss of their family dog, according to the BBB. The money was purportedly for the purchase of the pet, shipping and insurance.

The victim told the BBB the whole experience caused “significant emotional and financial distress.”

There tends to be a higher rate of pet purchase-related scams around the holidays, according to the BBB. Scammers use a variety of tactics to lure in victims, including fake websites and social media pages. They have even stolen legitimate businesses’ identities to fool buyers.

The BBB cautions customers to be aware of the following red flags of a pet scam:

• Popular breeds are available for incredibly low prices.
• The seller refuses to meet in person or take a video call.
• Extra charges for cages, vaccinations and other shipping costs.
• The word “teacup” is used in an advertisement.
• High-pressure tactics are meant to make the buyer think the animal will be harmed.

The BBB offers the following tips to avoid pet scams:

• See pets in person. Video calls can also be a strong deterrent against fraud.
• Use reverse image search. Many scam websites are impersonations of real businesses. Search the photos used online or sent to you to see if they appear anywhere else online.
• Understand market prices. Pet scams typically offer animals at deep discounts, and a low price can raise red flags.
• Check out your local shelter or humane society for a new pet instead.

The BBB has an in-depth report “Puppy Scams 2025 Study Update” which shares stories from people caught in pet scams and helps consumers avoid being victimized. Report scams to BBB’s Scam Tracker.