Most Mad Paws bookings are smooth, happy, and furry-friendly. But occasionally, messages can feel… a little off.
Scammers are crafty, so it’s important to be aware of what to look for and what to do.
Here’s how to spot them and avoid becoming caught up in it!
Tips & tricks to stay scam-savvy
Before we dive in, let’s make one thing clear: not every odd message is a scam.
Scams (sometimes more specifically named ‘phishing’) are designed to trick you into sharing personal info, sending money, or doing something unsafe.
đźš© Red flags to watch out for:
Here’s a handy cheat sheet to help spot scams and suspicious messages. If you notice one or more of these, pause and investigate.
1. Pressure & urgency
“I need this done today!” or “My last sitter cancelled! Can you help immediately?”
Scammers love to rush you so you don’t have time to think about it or to notice anything suspicious. Most of the time, real bookings don’t come with deadlines that make your heart race! While you may get some last-minute booking requests (that are legitimate), if the requester is quite pushy, it’s worth a double-take.
2. Off-platform requests
Look for anyone who’s asking to move the conversation to WhatsApp, SMS, or email before a booking is confirmed. This is not standard practice so this should immediately raise a red flag.
Same goes for offering to pay via bank transfer, gift cards, or other outside methods. Mad Paws always keeps payment on-platform to protect both the pet parent and the sitter.
3. Payment oddities
Overpaying and asking for a refund. This is a more obscure one but it can happen from time to time, and warrants a closer eye on the details of the booking. Additionally, any promises of future payment outside the platform is cause for concern.
The Mad Paws platform is designed to ensure secure & accurate payment, so if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…
4. Sketchy or inconsistent details
Vague pet descriptions, messages that seem copy-pasted or have strange grammar (this is a very telling sign), or details that change when you ask questions… All of these things are enough to justify a second look. Take a look at this example of a phishing attempt that our team intercepted and disabled:
5. Requests for personal information
Most commonly the biggest red flag and easiest way to spot scams is when someone’s asking for ID, bank info, or verification codes.
The Mad Paws customer service team verify all applications when becoming a Sitter, for safety and security reasons, but otherwise providing ID isn’t necessary and should be considered suspicious.
And, watch for anyone asking you to enter info on external websites or forms. You don’t ever need to leave the Mad Paws platform so a request like this should also be considered suspicious.
In short, one red flag might be a fluke. Two or more? Hit pause!
Common patterns that help you spot scamsÂ
Scammers tend to recycle a few classic tricks that make some of the above behaviour seem a little more reasonable (to make you think it’s just unusual but seemingly legitimate):
“The friendly traveller”: This type of scam can involve a long-term booking and upfront payment, but the person wants to handle payment outside Mad Paws.
“The ‘assistant’ story”: You can spot scams like this when the person claims the pet owner can’t pay you directly and someone else will handle it.
It’s important to note that these are typical patterns of behaviour when scammers do their deceiving, not guarantees. Stay alert, but don’t overreact. And, if ever in doubt, contact our Customer Service team who can help support you and work through next steps safely.
To help avoid being scammed…
Keep all communication on the Mad Paws platform.
Never send money or personal info outside the platform.
Confirm the other person’s identity through their Mad Paws profile.
Use only the in-platform messaging system.
Avoid offering off-platform payment.
Mad Paws will never ask a Pet Sitter for financial information, or to copy and paste a link to an external site to verify identity or to provide financial information.
What to do if something feels off:
In most cases, any phishing attempts can be ignored – simply delete the message/request, with no further action required. If you feel there’s something more sinister and would like to double check before taking any action at all, we’re always here to help! |
How Mad Paws keeps you safe
The Mad Paws tech team have strong security measures in place that constantly monitor accounts for unusual activity (e.g. multiple bookings that don’t fit the usual pattern, or users repeatedly asking to go off-platform).Â
Where any suspicious activity is detected, our system investigates and blocks any further action before it escalates.Â
With that said, it’s important to note that all users should remain alert to further phishing attempts and scams sent to their email addresses, via SMS or via telephone calls. While phishing attempts and scams can happen to anyone, staying informed and cautious goes a long way.
Trust your gut and lean on our team for support
The safest bookings feel boringly normal: no pressure, no secrets, just pets and people connecting.
If something feels off, and report it by reaching out to our Customer Service team directly via service@madpaws.com.au or via our Live Chat.
For more information on scams and how to protect yourself, the Australian government website Scamwatch has helpful resources also >
