New Michigan Scam Preys on Lost Pet Owners

A new scam is targeting Michigan pet owners in one of the cruelest ways possible—by exploiting the emotional turmoil of losing a beloved dog.

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A Michigan animal shelter is warning the public to be on high alert after multiple reports of scammers impersonating animal shelters and demanding ransom payments for “found” pets.

How the Scam Works

Scammers look for lost pet listings on social media, community boards, and sites like PawBoost.

These posts usually include photos, descriptions, and the owner’s phone number.

Using this information, they're able to place calls that appear to come from real animal shelters, sometimes even spoofing the shelter’s actual phone number so it looks real on your phone's caller ID.

If they're able to get ahold of the pet owner, the scammers tell them a story that sounds convincing.

For example, they might claim the missing dog has been found but was injured after being hit by a car and that immediate surgery is needed to save the dog.

Like most scams they stress the urgency of the situation, creating an emotional reaction where the owner is more likely to act immediately.

The scammers will then request a payment through cash apps like Venmo.

How to Protect Yourself

Hopefully you never find yourself in the position of having a pet go missing, but if you do follow these precautions:

Verify the call: If someone claims your pet is at a shelter, hang up and call the shelter directly using the number listed on its official website or social media page.

Be cautious about payment requests: Shelters rarely, if ever, demand immediate payment through apps like Venmo over the phone.

Limit personal information: Avoid including your phone number or other sensitive information in public lost pet alert, use direct messaging instead.

If you receive a call and believe it's a scam like this it's best to call the animal shelter and local police to let them know what is going on so they can be aware.