LOST PET SCAMS
To those who adore their furry family members, a missing or lost pet is devastating and heartbreaking.
With it comes a feeling of helplessness and a willingness to do whatever is necessary to be reunified with your pet.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office maintains regular and consistent contact with our local animal shelters and has received disturbing information regarding a scam that has been occurring.
A number of individuals who had posted a lost/missing pet on the “Find My Pet Portal” and/or on social media have received calls stating that their pet has been found and, in some cases, injured.
By “spoofing” the Caller ID number, these scammers have made it appear that they are calling from local animal shelters.
The scammer indicates that the pet requires emergency surgery and that the pet owner must send payment immediately. They generally ask that the money be sent via payment apps such as Zelle and Venmo.
While we highly encourage the use of all available resources to find a missing pet, we ask that those receiving these calls do not send payment in any form.
Report these incidents to local law enforcement.
