SCAM WATCH

Beware of anyone asking for money in return for your pet!

 

We know that the best way to make sure you get a call about any information about your pet with no third party delays is to display your phone number publicly.
However, it is not always the safest thing to do. Please beware of people trying to extort money out of lost pet owners for the return of the pet they do not have.

Do you know of a scam targeting lost pet owners? Have you been targeted?

 

How to recognise a potential scam:

  • Someone claims they have your pet but are asking for reward money
  • They cannot present any proof of having your pet including pictures under all kinds of excuses
  • They do not want to meet up, but ask you to pay into a WESTERN UNION account
  • They say they will drop your pet off at your address
  • They threaten to release your pet or worse if you do not pay
  • Their website is not maintained, looks copied or is overseas.

 

CURRENT SCAM LIST
 

October 2023

Purpose: Extortion

Target: All Meta Pages

Name: Various

Email: N/A

Notes:

We are receiving a lot of spam comments on our Meta posts referring users to an instagram user. These comments are reported to meta and removed as we find them but we recommend that you do not engage with these users or report them as spam.

Example:

Lost Pet Scam

 

May 2018

Purpose: Unknown

Target: Westminster area Perth WA

Name: Unknown, Speaking with an accent

Email: N/A

Feedback from our member: 

"I put Max on here for my daughter. She put flyers out. She received a call from some girls claiming to have Max and said they were going to kill him. They have called more than twice, and the last time said they were from Mirabooka Police Station. I called police to ask what they could do but they said to ignore it. The area is Westminster WA Just to let others know incase they get a call like this"

 

August 2016

Purpose: Money extortion

Target: Whoever posted a lost pet ad with the phone number displayed publicly on websites like LPF, Gumtree, etc and some Facebook pages.

Name: Debbie Holmes or Tricia Dougherty

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Typical message: 

They will send you a text saying that they found your details on the LPF website and will ask you for your email address.

"I am not suppose to be doing this because due to my disability issue, I lost my hearing and am on a wheelchair. I am not willing to disclose any of our details to you because my boyfriend will be mad at me if i do so, he left the country shortly and said he wants a reward for it and he is not willing to let go and told me not to disclose this to anyone until he's back but due to my conscience,it really brake my heart when i saw the advert on lost and found. I have to inform you about this and willing to help you out if you want me to. Tricia"

Details:

They will not provide any proof of having your pet and will ask you to transfer money into WESTERN UNION.