Travis Anthony and his partner from Peabody, Massachusetts, utilized a pet sitter from the popular pet-sitting app, Rover, only to return from vacation finding their home damaged and car used unauthorized, resulting in around $3,000 in damages. The sitter is now facing charges of larceny and credit card fraud, as per an NBC Boston report.
While the sitter had only five-star reviews on their Rover profile, Anthony found his security cameras disconnected and noticed the absence of their car from the house, detailed by NECN.com.
Further discoveries revealed that the sitter had disconnected the cameras and modem, brought strangers and extra dogs into the house, and took the couple's car without permission.
In response, Rover promptly deactivated the sitter from its platform, issuing a full refund to Anthony and pledging to reimburse eligible expenses through the Rover Guarantee, however, Anthony must first pay $1,000 for his homeowner's insurance deductible.
Rover's Guarantee does not cover homeowners insurance typical expenditures and has not clarified whether background checks are regularly updated. The platform mandates every sitter to clear a third-party administered criminal background check aimed towards surveillance for animal abuse criminal acts.
Despites Rover's safety promise, Anthony recommends users of the app conduct their own due diligence and thoroughly research the sitters beyond Rover profiles. For instance, a quick Google search would reveal information published in a local police log in this case.
