WEST SENECA, N.Y. — The SPCA Serving Erie County is warning pet owners about a scam in which callers target people with lost pets.
A woman came to the SPCA last week, desperate to find her lost cat, and while she was there she told employees that someone called her claiming to be from a different, local animal shelter. The scam caller said they had the cat but that it had been hit by a car and needed expensive, life-saving surgery immediately.
The scammer said a deposit was needed to do the surgery and that they would return the cat after — but first, the person needed to send hundreds of dollars via PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, or Apple Pay.
"We wouldn't be asking people to use Venmo, Paypal, CashApp, those types of things, essentially holding their animal hostage for payment. It's not what we would do. That's not what a lot of other shelters would do," said Jillian LeBlanc, social media coordinator for the SPCA Serving Erie County.
The woman found that suspicious and never sent any money.
"The scammers try to prey on vulnerable people. There's a sense of urgency involved with scams. If you're missing your animal and one of these people who's in that situation, of course, it's going to tug at your heartstrings, and of course you're going to act first and think later," said LeBlanc.
It's likely the scammer got the woman's number from her "missing pet" post online.
The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to protect yourself from scammers who claim they have your lost pet:
- Limit the information in your social posts: If you post on Facebook or other social media, omit information about unique physical attributes. This can help you verify if someone found your pet.
- Watch for spoofed numbers: If you get a call from someone claiming to have your pet, ask them for a phone number where you can call them back. Scammers often spoof phone numbers, so they appear to be calling from somewhere else.
- Ask for a photo: If a caller claims to have your pet in their possession, ask them to send a current picture. If the "finder" gets defensive or makes a lot of excuses, it's a red flag.
- Never wire money or use a prepaid debit card to pay anyone you don't know. This is the same as sending cash.
- Microchip and/or ID tag your pet: Consider having your veterinarian microchip your pet, and make sure they always wear a collar and ID tag. Newer ID tags with GPS trackers can be purchased, to find your pet's location.
- Call the police if your pet was stolen, or if you see that someone else is trying to sell your pet online.