An alarming pattern is unfolding online: credible-looking breeders lure buyers, take deposits, and then vanish. Kate Margolis, a designer from Tetbury, paid £500 for a golden retriever due to be born in December 2019. The day she was due to collect the pup, she was told it had died from ingesting plastic. The breeder stopped replying and the website disappeared, leaving no trace. Pet scams have cost the UK £2.5m since 2019, with the majority starting on social media. This incident sparked Margolis to create Pet Proov, an app designed to protect would-be buyers by automating verification emails, sharing identification details, and housing a biometric face check. It also provides access to the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) developed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APPGAW) to assess welfare standards. APPGAW director Marisa Heath explains the goal: empower the public and ensure ethical breeding decisions, reducing heartache and veterinary costs for families.
The warning signs can be subtle. Margolis describes a vetting process where the breeder asked about living situation and finances, creating a false sense of trust. After the supposed death of the dog, the offer of a replacement was rejected, and communications ceased as the website went dark—leaving no trace of the scam artist.
But the danger extends beyond fake puppies. The supporting investigation shows how data breaches feed modern scams. Scammers can harvest leaked data to target victims through SIM swaps, taking over phone numbers and intercepting security codes to access email and bank accounts. PaddyPower (2010) and Verifications.io (2019) are cited as examples where exposed data facilitated abuse. Analysts note a growing market for stolen Netflix, Disney, and Spotify accounts, with attackers linking private data to launch targeted phishing and account takeovers. In 2025, Proton Mail’s breach registry cites 794 verified breaches, potentially affecting hundreds of millions of records; major breaches at Co-op, Marks & Spencer, and Qantas also surfaced, while T-Mobile agreed to $350m in damages for a 2021 breach. Experts warn that this data scatter fuels ongoing fraud, underscoring the need for stronger identity verification and rapid victim notification.
The Pet Proov app offers a practical response: it automates a verification workflow between buyer and breeder, requiring identification and a biometric check, and it integrates APPGAW’s IHA to assess whether a selectively bred dog meets welfare standards. APPGAW’s Heath emphasizes that the tool is designed to empower the public and reduce the risk of costly heartache and veterinary bills by ensuring people do the right thing when entering a family commitment.