Losing a pet can become a distressing situation for any family. This desperation is precisely what some criminals take advantage of to try to scam those who have posted ads on the street or on social networks looking for their dog or cat.
The National Police has warned on its social networks of the so-called lost pet scam. “If you lose your pet and receive a message like this, they will lie to you and tell you that they have found it to finally ask you for money,” they warn.
According to the Police, scammers locate advertisements for lost animals and contact their owners ensuring that they have already found the pet. From there, the deception begins.
This is how the lost pet scam works
The objective of the scam is to gain the trust of the pet owner as soon as possible, for which they sometimes even send supposedly recent photos or videos of the animal, but generated with artificial intelligence from images that the owner himself had previously published.
This way, the victim may think that they really have their pet. “So that you trust them, they send you photos or videos generated by artificial intelligence from images that you have published of your pet,” explains the National Police.
Once they have gotten the person to believe the story, the request for money comes. Scammers can make up different excuses to ask for payment before returning the animal, taking advantage of the owners’ urgency and fear.
What to do if someone says they found your pet
The Police recommend being suspicious if the person you contact demands money to return the animal. Before making any payment, it is important to carefully check the information provided and not act on impulse.
One of the tips is to ask a control question. For example, ask about a physical trait that is not easily seen in the published photos or about a peculiarity of the pet’s behavior that only its owner knows about.
“If someone asks you for money to return your animal, be suspicious, check the information they give you and ask some control questions,” reminds the National Police.
The final recommendation is not to give in when they demand money; In these cases it is advisable to save the messages, screenshots, telephone numbers or any evidence of contact and file a report with the Police.