Vet surgeons warned over fake internship scam
Vet surgeons are being warned not to fall victim to a scam involving fake internerships.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has issued a warning for surgeons to be on their guard, after discovering a fraudster is charging a £150 “non-refundable application fee” for an RCVS “internship” that does not exist.
The RCVS, the regulatory body for the veterinary profession in the UK, does not offer internships.
Information about the fake internship has been sent to individuals registered with German website www.vetcontact.com and includes details about the Royal Veterinary College and the RCVS.
It refers to a fictional “RCVS Hospital” in the “Flint Hills of London”.
“So far, only a handful of veterinary surgeons — all based overseas — have contacted us regarding the internship and queried the request for a non-refundable ‘application’ fee, although we are concerned that others may have been caught out,” said the RCVS’s Gordon Hockey.
“We would advise any veterinary surgeon to think twice before paying for a third party to facilitate an application for any placement or internship, and reiterate that the RCVS does not offer any such programmes.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Anyone who is concerned should tel: 020 7202 0728.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.