Greg's Corner

New missing pet scam terrorizes owners

By Greg Collier

The panic you feel when a beloved family pet goes missing is almost palpable. Owners of missing pets can’t help but wonder what their pet is possibly going through. In those situations, our thoughts often turn to the worst possible outcome. Then there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Someone has come forward claiming to have found your pet. But they’re not a good Samaritan. Instead, they’re a scammer looking to make some money off your anxiety.

Unfortunately, this is a common scam anymore. If you were to lose a pet and put up flyers or ask for help on social media, there’s a good chance the first person to contact you will be a scammer. Scammers will say they have your pet before asking for some kind of reward. Some scammers will even make it sound like they’re holding your pet for ransom.

More recently, scammers have increased the emotional manipulation used in the scam. Now, scammers are not only claiming to have found your pet, but they’re also claiming they had to take the pet in for emergency surgery. The scammers then try to get the amount of the ‘surgery’ out of the pet owners. Some scammers even pose as the local shelter while trying to get money from the owner. Sadly, some pet owners have fallen victim to the scam and lost large amounts of money to the scammers.

It used to be when something like this happened, you would ask the caller to send you a picture of them with your pet. Some experts have warned this may not be viable anymore with the advancement of AI photo apps that could make it appear as if they have your dog.

If you receive a call like this and the person says they took your dog into emergency surgery, ask them where the surgery took place. Then call the veterinarian’s office or animal shelter to verify their story before handing over any money.