TAMPA, Fla. — The Humane Society of Tampa Bay issued a warning about a scam targeting pet owners who are missing a pet.
Regan Blessinger, Marketing and Content Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay said scammers are exploiting the emotional distress of pet owners by using information from lost-and-found pet websites and social media posts.
The scammers are impersonating Humane Society of Tampa Bay staff.
"In this case, they’re pretending to be us. They spoofed our phone number, the caller ID comes up Humane Society of Tampa and they are calling and saying we have your animal and something tragic happened, there’s an emergency, you must pay us," said Blessinger.
Chloe Patera lost $2,100 after falling for the scam.
She said her family's cat is missing from Valrico, and she shared the news on her personal Facebook page. She also posted on social media sites designed to help pet owners find their missing animals.
"Letting my friends know, hey, Percy is missing. Please if you see him, he's got freckles on his nose, great indicator. He responds to his name," she said.
She said she received a phone call from a caller claiming to be from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. The caller stated law enforcement turned in her missing cat. The caller also stated the cat was injured and needed money for surgery.
Patera said the caller knew her name, her mother's name, and the name of her family's cat.
"The man on the phone said he's been here for about 45 minutes now, and it is going to require surgery or else it could end in him being paralyzed," said Patera.
She sent $2,100 through PayPal before realizing it was a scam.
"It's terrible because you're already in a vulnerable state because you've lost your animal," said Blessinger.
"We will never ask for money like that, and if it sounds like anyone is holding your pet hostage, they aren't a reputable shelter or rescue," she added.
The Suncoast Humane Society is also warning pet owners about the scam. Patera hopes others do not fall for it.
She said she's dealing with the stress of her mother being hospitalized from a stroke. Her family is also heartbroken about their missing cat.
"Had my mom not been in the situation that we're currently in and I being under such immense stress, I feel as though I would have been able to spot it as a scam, and I would have been able to bring myself out of those emotions," said Patera.
"It's just this awful, sinking feeling. It was like not only have we lost $2,100, we are no closer to getting our beloved cat back."
A GoFundMe page is raising money to help her family.
"I’ve gotten exhausted from FEMA. We’re 62 and 72 years old, and we’re on Social Security/Disability. What the hell does this country want from us?”
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