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Identifying Scams Is Key
The Savannah breed is very popular and because of that, we have had some unsavory characters trying to cheat people out of their money. It is sad but true. They offer Savannahs at attractively lower prices. They then take the money and never send a cat. We provided this article so those interested in Savannahs may learn how to identify scams.
The absolute first and best way to avoid a scam is to check our breeder members. If the breeder is on the list, it means we have a signed pledge from them and they are taking the steps to be a very responsible breeder. Of course, not all breeders are scammers if they are not on this site so here are some other helpful hints.
Steps to help Identify Scams
- If there is a website, view it online. Look for multiple misspellings and bad grammar. That is a giveaway.
- Sometimes it is easy to identify scams by viewing the space just to the left of the URL in the address bar. The very secure sites will have a lock-in space like this website. Less secure sites could be spam sites or informational sites. You can click that area and it will lead to more information about that site. If you see a yield sign, there is a good chance that you just found a scam website. Never give personal information to a non-secure site, i.e. those without a lock beside their name.
- This is a good site to use if you want to determine if it is a scam, this site link can help to check sites.
- The fourth tip to identify spam is to check for ownership. “Who is” will give you the ownership, who hosts it, and many other details. Keep in mind that some people who own websites want to have privacy and have paid for their names to not appear. Other information may be helpful though such as country of origin (such as China or Nigeria) and length of ownership.
- Google’s transparency report will also help to identify scams. Google is continually looking for sites that are not safe.
- If a site’s URL contains a portion of a name that you are familiar with but there are more characters added, that is a dead giveaway of a scam.
- Look for contact information on the site. If there is a phone, email, or both then try to contact the person. If there is no way to contact, it is a red flag.
Breeders
If you are a breeder and someone duplicates your site, or steals your pictures or name and adds a few characters, report them. The DMCS notice generator is a big help to get a scam site or copyright infringement taken down.
Facebook Scams
If you have a Facebook account you may see the type of ad that states, ‘Like our page, send us your email, and then share this post to win a…’ trip, motorcycle, boat, money, or other expensive items. Those are fairly easy scams to detect. There are others that are not so easy. Facecrooks is a page on Facebook that attempts to keep up with the current scams making the circuit. Please beware of those who try to sell on Facebook and there is no website to check references.
Final Word on Scams
As a final word to the wise when trying to identify scams. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is too good to be true. Please don’t buy just because the price is right. That is a way for a scammer to get your money and not send you a kitten. Diligence in checking all the above ways to tell is the best way to avoid getting scammed. Shopping with a breeder who is either a trusted member here or one who has a secure site with a long history.
