How to Spot Fraud Listings!
Dear animal lovers,
Unfortunately, we must bring a sad situation to your attention.
Dubious users regularly try to place classified adverts for young, cute breeds, mostly Pomeranians, with the title ‘Looking for a home – free to give away’.
One particularly disgusting incident occurred after the devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey in 2023, when a scammer shamelessly exploited the tragedy for their own gain.
We provided legal support and collected data (IP number, email address and phone numbers) through our lawyer to help those affected take action against the perpetrators.
Since then, KirikKuyruk.com has introduced new rules for suspicious listings to protect all users.
Users wanting to publish such listings must send us a copy of their ID and take a photo of themselves with the animal.
It goes without saying that such personal details will never be published; they are used solely to ensure the safety of all other users.
How do Scammers Approach Users?
(Be aware that they use the same methods on other platforms and social media.)
We would like to emphasis that no one should buy (purebred) animals. Adopt the lovely and usually much smarter and healthier street animals. There are many sad souls waiting for a new home, especially in shelters.
#adoptdontshop
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They ask you to contact them via WhatsApp only (it is usually a business account).
Suggested solution: Call them directly, without using the app. Not getting through is suspicious. -
The animal is offered for free, but they ask for a transportation fee (pet taxi).
Suggested solution: Never transfer money; arrange the transport yourself. -
The animals offered are usually young (six months old) and do not have a microchip.
Suggested solution: Animals must be microchipped by the age of six months by law in Turkey. Ask why the animal does not have a microchip yet. -
Photographs are often used that can be found on the internet via an image search. Recently, pictures that are not yet available on the internet have also been used.
Suggested solution: Use the search function on a search engine. -
The submission of the animal is often justified with vague ‘personal’ motives without providing further details.
Suggested solution: Ask for a detailed explanation of why they are giving it away.
It’s not just Pomeranians like the ones in the photos that are used as bait, but all “cute breeds”. Such breeds sell for more than $1000. This alone should raise suspicions. #adoptdontshop
Please be extra careful and report any suspicious sightings to the website admin and the police.
Your safety and the welfare of the animals are our top priorities!
Your KirikKuyruk.com team
