Cats from Dubai a scam?

[Shabbychair]

Hi
Im wondering if some of these people are running a scam.
We found a lovely cat on pets4homes and she was meant to cost £110 I was given contacts in Dubai via my offering my phone number.
They contacted me via WhatsApp.
it sounded ok, until they asked for £200 , and then asked if it were possible for us to pay upfront.
We said yes to the £200 but no to paying upfront.
Have done a home video for them and application form.
It is odd though as the initial contact from pets4homes never says her name, and even when I actually asked her for it, didn’t give it to me.
We have heard little back from the contact in Dubai since, and I’m now wondering if the whole thing is a scam. Any thoughts please? Thanks

Alarm bells ringing!

I mean, it sounds like a complete scam OP. Send £200 to Dubai and at some point we’ll post you a cat?

Of course it's a scam. £110 won't even cover the transportation international.
Why buy a cat from Dubai? No cat available in UK?

Surely there are plenty of cats in the UK

Of course it's a scam.
Upping the price, asking for it upfront. Dubai .... why the heck would a legitimate cat seller to someone in the U.K. be there?

Now for goodness sakes think, what info did you provide on the 'application form'? Is there anything they mighthave gleaned from the 'home video' that they can use for other fraud attempts/identity theft?

This actually sounds similar to what happened to my daughters friend. Except 2 weeks later a car turned up with the cat! Plus all the legitimate documents from the vet/travel company in the UAE!

Yes it’s a scam. Was featured on You and Yours R4 today.

Please, please, please adopt a cat from a nearby rescue instead. There are so many abandoned kitties who need love.

Uk rescues are overflowing at the moment. Please look for a cat from here

Why do you need to get a cat from Dubai? Are there not enough cats needing homes already in the UK?

It’s an absolute racket. It’s the same as dogs being ‘rescued’ from Romania, Bulgaria, Spain and Italy. We have plenty here that need rehoming and the ones in this country understand English (mainly) Anyone who pays to rescue a foreign animal needs treatment -sorry if that breaks MN rules but it’s true.

You need an animal to understand English? Weird.

Why on earth would you get a cat from Dubai when there are loads of cats available locally almost everywhere? I just don't get why anyone thinks this is preferable to getting a cat without subjecting it to a totally unnecessary plane journey. We got ours from the local rescue centre, cost £75 and picked up in person.

Hi everyone.
thanks so much. Well we heard the situation was really bad out there. With traps and poison being laid in the streets to kill strays. Did try local rescues but not that many available. No sensitive information given like bank details etc obviously.

The reason people adopt from Eastern Europe is because they don’t have to jump through the hoops imposed by rescue places here. This means that you have both people with unsuitable accommodation/ who are out of the house all day importing dogs from abroad, and many of these dogs have all sorts of problems, too. I really think the government should step in and stop this sort of racket - people think they’re helping, but they are encouraging the unscrupulous to set up puppy farms in places like Romania.

And to the OP - adopting a cat from Dubai? As others have said, there are plenty of kitties closer to home.

Well we heard the situation was really bad out there

Maybe it is.
Or maybe that's what scammers/kitten farmers tell people?

Maybe better to send a donation to a legitimate rescue org there if you're worried, one that does neutering, rather than look in pets4homes?