Gransnet forums

Scams and fraud

Pet Microchip Fraud do not pay

(15 Posts)
Maggieanne Wed 13-Aug-25 12:36:04

I've had two emails from a company called Petchip network, they have all of my details and emailed me saying that my cats' microchips have expired and I need to re-subscribe. I phoned my vet and was told it was a scam, so I've emailed our local council but it seems this is a world-wide scam. If anyone gets an email ignore it, your pets microchip doesn't expire, please do not send them any money

Delila Wed 13-Aug-25 13:03:22

Thanks for the warning Maggieanne.

Maggieanne Wed 13-Aug-25 14:20:34

I hope more people see this post, I nearly paid, especially now as we've been told we must have cats chipped. When I phoned my vet practice, almost the first thing she said, was "you haven't paid have you"!

Allira Wed 13-Aug-25 15:11:21

I haven't got pets but will alert the family.

My first thought was - whatever next! shock

AuntieE Wed 13-Aug-25 15:31:03

No, the chips do not expire, but they can apparently move around ithe n the cat's body.

My vet checks when my cats go for booster vaccinations that their chips are still were they should be (left shoulder) - if they are not the details in their passports and in the registry are amended. So far, this has never happened with any cat that I have had that was chipped (four so far).

Shelflife Wed 13-Aug-25 15:34:02

Thank you for the warning Maggieanne.

Willow73 Wed 13-Aug-25 15:41:58

Please put this on all social media sites, imagine how many people could fall for this, whatever next.
The pet rescue centres and charities should do the same.

windmill1 Wed 13-Aug-25 15:50:41

Whatever next? "The lease on your parents grave will expire in 24 hours. Pay up or we'll dig them up."
All scams are ruthlessly shameless.

escaped Wed 13-Aug-25 15:58:10

Chips do not expire, but they could fail.

Our cat was due to travel home from abroad, but at the last minute the vet couldn't find his chip. It seems it had become injested. We had to start the process all over again, so he had to remain abroad for I think 3 or 4 months.
Thanks for reminding us to check for scams.

HowVeryDareYou2 Wed 13-Aug-25 16:37:49

It's a scam. I had the same email yesterday to say my cat's microchip registration had expired. The cat died almost 3 years ago, and I notified the company at the time.

Maggieanne Wed 13-Aug-25 19:32:54

My vet knows about it and I've informed the local council on their scam section. I know the chips can move, which is a nuisance but this is a scam where people are stealing your money.

LovesBach Thu 14-Aug-25 14:14:37

Sort of on the same topic; if you have your cat chipped, do check that it has been properly inserted. We had our huge black tom cat chipped, and he fought and struggled. Later that day a friend was stroking him along the spine, and her finger became tangled in a short thread; checking it we found the microchip attached. Had she not done that it would have fallen off, probably in the garden, and we would have been none the wiser. The vet reinserted the chip, but sadly he was killed by a car about six months later. Ironically a vet found him, and was able to tell us - without that chip we would have not known what had happened to him.

Maggieanne Thu 14-Aug-25 14:43:42

LovesBach

Sort of on the same topic; if you have your cat chipped, do check that it has been properly inserted. We had our huge black tom cat chipped, and he fought and struggled. Later that day a friend was stroking him along the spine, and her finger became tangled in a short thread; checking it we found the microchip attached. Had she not done that it would have fallen off, probably in the garden, and we would have been none the wiser. The vet reinserted the chip, but sadly he was killed by a car about six months later. Ironically a vet found him, and was able to tell us - without that chip we would have not known what had happened to him.

Sorry to hear that, we've lost a few to the road here and it's getting busier. We miss our friends because that is what they are to us, best wishes, I hope you can think of getting another cat they're great companions.

escaped Thu 14-Aug-25 14:46:39

Because we travel abroad a lot with our dogs, we have our own chip scanner. I check the chips every few months.

LovesBach Thu 14-Aug-25 21:04:50

Thanks for the kind words, Maggieanne; that was some years ago, and shortly after that awful time, we collected two black and white cats from a local rescue centre. Yes - they are such great companions, and life without cats would be a sadder place. x