What are common lost pet scams I should know about?

Scammers may try to take advantage of your emotional state when your pet is missing. Some common scams include:

• Fake animal shelters or rescues claiming to have found your pet and demanding fees like “impound” or “vet costs.”

• Demands for untraceable payments via wire transfers, gift cards, or payment apps before they’ll “release” your pet.

• Requests for verification codes sent to your phone, often used to gain access to your accounts.

• Impersonation of legitimate recovery services offering drones or search dogs using stolen or misleading images.

• Fake social media accounts posting pictures of injured pets or claiming to have taken your pet to the vet, then asking for money.

If someone is trying to scam you on our platform, please contact us immediately at lostandfound@petcolove.org.