SPCA WARNING PET OWNERS ABOUT MISSING PET SCAM
December 5, 2023
By: SPCA Social Media Coordinator Jillian LeBlanc
The SPCA Serving Erie County has been made aware of a recent scam involving missing pets in our area.
With this scam, a caller dials the number listed on a missing pet flier and tells the pet owner they’re calling from a local animal shelter. The scammer claims the pet was found and brought to their shelter; however, the pet has been injured and needs immediate, life-saving surgery. The caller then tells the pet owner that a downpayment of several hundred dollars must be made in order for them to get their animal back after the surgery has been performed. The pet owner is then given the option to send the payment via Apple Pay, Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal.
One Buffalo resident who was on the verge of being scammed visited the SPCA yesterday seeking help finding her missing cat. Fortunately, she sought help before sending any money.
If you have fallen victim to this scam, or a similar scam, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recommends reporting fraud to the BBB Scam Tracker. To learn more about how you can prevent falling victim to a missing pet scam, please read the BBB’s January, 2022 article BBB Scam Alert: Lost pet? Watch out for this scam.