Dog Thefts Scam

Following on from my recent Dog Theft Awareness post, John from Blacon has notified me of a specific dog thefts scam. It involves men driving around in a white van with fake RSPCA stickers on the sides. These seemingly RSPCA ‘officials’ then approach dog owners claiming that their dog resembles one that has been reported as stolen.

Dog Thefts Scam

Of course the RSPCA ‘officials’ are bogus. While the van engine is still running, the bogus RSPCA men try to take the dog from it’s owner. No form of ID presented. No indication whatsoever that they are bona fide RSPCA officials.

It is worth noting that Police remind the public that RSPCA officers will always carry ID on them.

A police spokesman said: “Never let your dog be taken in these circumstances, the RSPCA never take a dog like that. RSPCA officers will have valid ID and if in any doubt call the head office on 03001234999.

“Please also inform the police on 101 with as much detail as possible such as vehicle registration etc.” There has been a noticeable rise in the number of people reporting dog thefts in recent months. Animal Search, a leading search service for missing pets in the United Kingdom, said: “There has been a huge rise in dog thefts reported to us here at Animal Search UK. Demand has skyrocketed because of lockdown, where people now have more time to spend with their new pets and train them.”

You can read the full story of exactly what happened in this Cheshire Live article by checking out this link HERE.

Dog Thefts Scam – On The Increase

It seems that this dog thefts scam is not in isolation. There seems to be more and more attempts by scammers to steal our furry, family members. Let’s make sure we are all switched on to these scams.

One big clue in the above attempted scam is the absence of a valid ID. Irrespective of how sophisticated, or not, the scam may be, we can cover ourselves with some basic knowledge of our own. Checking for valid ID’s is one. Don’t just accept a brief flash of a so called ID document or badge. Properly scrutinize it. And if there is a phone number on the ID, phone it.

Try to do as much as you can to thwart these scammers.

Thanks for reading my latest blog post – “Dog Thefts Scam” and thank you for visiting my Chester Lifestyle website. It is much appreciated.

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