'We found your lost pet...' | New cellphone scam targets pet owners

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — We’ve told you about all kinds of cellphone scams. The most common seem to be scammers posing as police or tax agents trying to coax a payment out of you for fear of arrest. But it looks like scammers are now preying on another fear-lost pets.

The days of posting a sign for your missing pet on a cork board or utility pole are long gone. These days if a pet goes missing, you can post on a Facebook page or Nextdoor. You just add a picture and your phone number and immediately reach thousands of people.

But, it also means you can reach scammers.

“They are preying on [pet owners] emotions.” Reasa Currier, Director of Fairfax Co. Animal Shelters, said.  

Currier said now the scammers have dragged the animal shelters into it.

“These scammers are contacting the pet owners claiming to be affiliated with Fairfax County Animal Shelters,” she explained.

How do they do it?

Currier said the scammers get the pet owners’ information from lost pet posts on Virginia social media sites, then spoof the animal shelter's number and call worried pet owners.

“One of the scammers asked someone for nearly $4,000,” Currier said.

She said the scammer told that victim they found their lost cat, but the scammer "said the cat was hit by a car and required emergency surgery,” Currier explained.

Then the scammer asked the victim to pay them up front using Venmo or PayPal. Struck with emotion, the owner did – another victim of this lost pet scam.

Currier wants to remind people this is not what animal shelters do.

“We call people and let them know their pets are here,” she said. “If their pets do incur any medical expenses, we are never going to demand payment over the phone.”

Currier said what most legal experts warn, no legitimate operation is demanding payment over the phone through Venmo or PayPal. Also be careful giving out your credit card.

She also said to remember when posting for your lost pet on social media-be wary of posting your phone number. If someone calls pretending to be an animal shelter and demanding payment, hang up. Then call the animal shelter yourself.