From Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
For many Clevelanders, a pet is more than just an animal – they are family. When a family member goes missing, it causes understandable duress. Fortunately, many websites now exist for the sole purpose of helping reunite missing pets with their owners. While most people online may have sincere intentions of reconnecting pets with their owners, scammers will always use an emotional situation to their advantage. Missing pets are no exception.
Recently a Lakewood woman reported to Better Business Bureau® Serving Greater Cleveland (BBB®) that a scammer contacted her after she reported her lost dog on the internet in early February. The woman told BBB that “within 15 after (posting on an online message board) I received a text message saying they had my dog.” The scammers then asked the woman “if they could send a 6 digit code to verify it was my dog and then they would return it.” The consumer noted that the scammer’s phone number was listed as from California and they didn’t answer when she called them. As a result, the consumer didn’t believe they had her dog and didn’t provide the scammers with any information. Fortunately, the owner and her pets were still reunited later through other individuals.
Sadly, this scenario isn’t uncommon on online message boards and missing pet pages. Last year the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released an alert about Google Voice verification scams and how they work. Scammers will attempt to link a Google Voice number to a victim’s actual phone number. To do this, the scammers need to request Google Voice to send a verification code to the victim’s phone number. Once the scammers obtain the code from their victim, they will use the victim’s phone number to continue to perpetrate more fraud.
Google Voice is a service that gives consumers the ability to make calls, send text messages, and receive voicemails from a web browser or mobile device. Google Voice is available for consumers and businesses alike and Google advises consumers to take these steps to reclaim a number that was linked to another account. Additionally, BBB is offering these additional tips for missing pet scammers.
-
Limit the information in social media and online posts – Omit information about physical pet attributes if posting about a missing animal online. This can help to verify if someone found the pet by asking questions regarding characteristics not mentioned in the original missing pet listing.
-
Watch for Red Flags – If the person who says they have recovered a lost pet requests payment or refuses to meet in person in a public place first, this is a red flag. Scammers will often request victims to wire money. This can be in the form of a cashier’s check, money order, prepaid debit card, Bitcoin transaction, or Zelle. Ask individuals to send photographs or to Facetime with the animal. If the “finder” gets defensive or makes a lot of excuses, that’s also a red flag.
-
Choose a Safe Spot to Recover the Animal – May cities offer a “safe trade” location for residents. This is often an area with surveillance cameras or a police station parking lot. Use these locations when recovering a lost pet or conducting online business that requires an in-person meet-up.
-
Watch for spoofed numbers – Scammers often, but not always, spoof phone numbers, so they appear to be calling from a local number.
-
Microchip and Tag Your Pet – Consider microchipping pets and make sure they always wear a collar with an identification tag.
For more information about missing pet scams, click here. If individuals have spotted a scam (whether or not they’ve lost money), they can report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. These reports can help others avoid falling victim to scams. Consumers can also visit the Scam Tracker website to view the latest reported scams in their neighborhood or across North America.
