BEWARE: NEW LOST PET SCAM

November, 6, 2025

It’s certainly your worst nightmare- your beloved best furry friend goes missing, and you’d do anything to bring them home.

Unfortunately, scammers know this too and have gotten creative with their efforts to exploit.

Recently, a local pet owner shared a disturbing experience that’s trending: someone contacted them claiming to have found their missing pet and even sent a photo that appeared to show the animal sitting safely in their lap.

Naturally, heart racing, the owner rushed to arrange a meeting- only to receive a demand for money via Venmo before they’d even reunited. Thankfully, the owner contacted the police who confirmed the image was AI-generated using photos from the owner’s original “missing pet” post.

Scammers are exploiting the deep emotional attachment we have to our pets, crafting convincing, computer-generated images that tug at the heartstrings. They prey on urgency and love- and like all scammers, hoping panic will override caution.

The lesson here is harsh but essential: if someone contacts you saying they’ve found your pet, NEVER SEND MONEY UPFRONT.

Always ask for verifiable details that couldn’t come from your social media posts-like your pet’s collar tag information, a unique marking, or a video of them responding to their name.

Report suspicious behavior to the police and share your experience on socials to protect others.

Losing a pet is heartbreaking enough without being victimized in the process. Let’s stay vigilant, help one another verify legitimate leads, and make it harder for these scammers to succeed!

You can check out our past blog post on things to do when you have lost a pet so that you can hopefully be reunited more quickly! >>>>

https://www.motleyzooanimalrescue.org/post/tips-on-how-to-reunite-with-pets-that-go-missing

Technology can mimic our pets’ faces- but not the love we share with them!

And yes, the pic used for this post is an AI generated one ;) There are some good uses too. Stay frosty, animal friends!