Most Australian kitten scams and most mis-sold kittens can be identified from the listing alone, before you have contacted anyone. The tells are consistent enough to learn. Here are fourteen.
Quick answer: Online kitten listings — here’s the short version. If a deal looks too good to be true, walk away — then read how our verified Russian Blue kittens for sale are vet-checked and documented.
Red flags in the photographs
- Studio-quality images with no ordinary ones. A real breeder has hundreds of mediocre photos on a kitchen floor. A scammer has eight perfect ones, usually sourced from elsewhere. Ask for a current photo of the kitten with a handwritten note showing today’s date.
- Reverse image matches. Copy a photo URL into Google Images or TinEye. Scam listings reuse images that already exist on other sites, often overseas. This single check catches a large share of fraud.
- No photo of the mother. Ever. A legitimate breeder shows the queen readily because she is their best evidence.
- Inconsistent kitten appearance across photos. Different markings, different eye colour, different apparent age between shots – suggests images from different litters.
- No photos of the environment. Only the kitten against a blanket or in a carrier. No litter tray, no scratching post, no living room.
- Photos that do not match the described age. A kitten described as eight weeks but looking four months, or a young kitten with fully developed adult green eyes. Russian Blue eye colour change gives you the timeline to check against.
- Watermarks from another business or a foreign site.
Red flags in the wording
- Urgency. “Must go this weekend”, “someone else is coming to see them”, “price drops if gone today”. Pressure is the mechanism of the scam; a legitimate breeder with a waitlist has no reason to hurry you.
- Price well below market. A pedigree Russian Blue at $400 to $800 when the market is $1,500 to $2,500 is either a crossbreed, unvet-worked, or fraudulent. Why cheap kittens cost you more and prices by state.
- Vague on specifics. No dates of birth, no sexes specified, no vaccination status, no registry named. Real breeders lead with these details because they are their selling points.
- Breed name used loosely. “Russian Blue” with white markings, or “Russian Blue x” at a pedigree price. Russian Blue or just a grey cat?
- No mention of the mother, of health testing, or of a contract.
- Language and grammar that does not match a local seller, combined with a local-sounding suburb. Often indicates an offshore operation.
- Emotional appeals that substitute for facts. Long stories about why the kittens must be rehomed urgently, with no verifiable detail.
Red flags in the transaction
- No video call offered, or repeated excuses to avoid one. This is close to definitive. A live call showing the kitten, the mother and the house is trivial for a real breeder and impossible for a fraudster.
- Transport handled by a third party who contacts you separately. Then requests additional fees – for a crate, a certificate, insurance, or a “refundable” quarantine charge. Delivery-fee scams.
- Payment requested by gift card, cryptocurrency, Western Union, or to an account name that does not match the seller.
- Deposit requested before you have seen the kitten or the terms in writing.
- No contract, or a contract you are not allowed to read before paying.
- Address never provided, or a meeting arranged only at a public place with no cattery location given.
- The seller cannot name their veterinary practice, or names one that has no record of them when you call.
- Multiple breeds always available, always now. Volume production or fraud. Real catteries have seasons and gaps. Why waitlists exist.
The verification sequence that catches almost everything
- Reverse image search every photo in the listing.
- Ask for a current photo with today’s date and a named object.
- Ask for a live video call showing the kitten, the mother and the living space.
- Ask which registry the breeder is registered with and check the directory. What registration means.
- Ask for the veterinary practice name and telephone them.
- Ask for the pedigree certificate of the parents.
- Ask for the contract in writing before any payment. What to look for.
- Search the cattery name plus “scam” and plus “review”.
- Confirm the payment account name matches the breeder.
A legitimate seller passes all nine, usually with enthusiasm. A fraudulent one fails somewhere in the first four. Buying a kitten online safely walks through the whole process, and what a cattery visit looks like covers the in-person equivalent.
The grey area: honest sellers, misleading listings
Not every problematic listing is a scam. Many are well-meaning people who:
- Believe their grey cat is a Russian Blue because they were told so
- Have not done vet work and do not realise the buyer will need to pay for it
- Are selling a crossbreed under a breed name without meaning to deceive
- Have used flattering photos without meaning to imply a pedigree
These are not frauds, but they are listings where you should adjust the price to match what is actually being sold and get the vet position in writing. How to verify a pedigree helps you establish which case you are in.
If you have already paid and it has gone wrong
- Stop paying. Any further “fee” will not produce a kitten.
- Save everything – the listing, all messages, payment records, photos.
- Contact your bank immediately. A recently made transfer may sometimes be recalled.
- Report to Scamwatch (ACCC) and to your state police cybercrime unit.
- Report the listing to the platform it appeared on.
- If the seller is an identifiable Australian business, contact your state fair trading body – Australian Consumer Law applies.
Recovery rates are low, which is why the verification sequence above happens before payment. Kitten scams in Australia covers the full landscape and the reporting routes.
The two checks that catch most scams
Reverse image search the photos, and insist on a live video call showing the mother. Fraudsters fail one or both, almost without exception.
Quick answers
What is the biggest red flag in an online kitten listing?
A seller who will not do a live video call showing the kitten, the mother and the environment. Every legitimate breeder will; fraudsters cannot.
How do I check if listing photos are stolen?
Reverse image search them with Google Images or TinEye. Scam listings reuse images that already appear elsewhere online.
Is a low price always a scam?
Not always – it may be an honest crossbreed or a cat without vet work. But a pedigree breed name at well below market price is always a reason to investigate before paying.
Can I get my money back from a kitten scam?
Sometimes, if you act fast – contact your bank immediately and report to Scamwatch and police. Recovery rates are low, which is why prevention matters more.
Related reading
Online Kitten Listings: FAQs
How much does it cost to act on this?
When readers ask about online kitten listings, the budget question comes first: our Russian Blue kittens are $2,500 with a $250 deposit, vet-checked and fully documented — see current Russian Blue kittens for sale.
What payment method is safest?
When online kitten listings matters, pay by traceable methods only and get a written contract first. Never pay by gift card or crypto — read how to avoid kitten scams.
What should I do next about online kitten listings?
Read our 99 kitten-buying FAQs, then enquire — we reply within 24 hours and will happily talk through online kitten listings for your situation.
Independent guidance: Learn to recognise and report pet scams at the ACCC’s Scamwatch.
Ready to meet your kitten?
Our Russian Blue kittens are raised in our family home, vet-checked, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and socialised before they travel. We reserve with a $250 deposit and deliver Australia-wide.