![[US] Beware of kitten scams for Ragdoll or Maine Coon or similar](https://preview.redd.it/tjwjj40qjmtg1.png?width=140&height=140&crop=1:1,smart&auto=webp&s=fd26cd9df9b74de9fe2aea8ebdda6bed380c0771)
[US] Beware of kitten scams for Ragdoll or Maine Coon or similar
I visited a friend recently who lives in Florida and met her 5-month old Ragdoll kitten. I had never heard of a Ragdoll and she said that legitimate breeders sell them for $3000-$4000.
Well, I fell in love with the kitten and wanted one myself so I went looking online for Ragdolls for sale. And found a rich environment for scammers. In fact, the same ad for one kitten is posted in different locations around the country on Craigslist.
Look for scammer tactics:
Post ads on Craigslist, Petfinder, Adoptacapt, Facebook, etc. that don't provide many details about the kitten(s) and may include altered phone numbers, i.e., 518-80x-89eight6, 5 0 4 3 3 x 0 7 31.
Offer a considerably lower price for "rehoming" and require a deposit through non-bank payment apps like Chime and Venmo to reserve the kitten. They might tell you that you can request a refund if they don't show up to deliver the kitten. You'll get a fake name from them.
Ask for more money after the initial deposit and/or ask for personal information before you can meet the kitten (which they typically say is 2 to 3 months old). They may even offer to send pictures or videos to try to emotionally snag you.
Don't ever pay someone a "deposit" for a pet you can't meet first. Remember, if the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Insist on paying cash or check when you pick up the purchase, not through a payments app or even Zelle. Don't send money first to "open" an account with them. They don't need to know your home address before the final transaction.
