The Fairfax County Animal Shelter wants pet owners to know that someone is posing as shelter staff in an attempt to get money from owners of lost pets.
Reasa Currier, director of Fairfax County’s Department of Animal Sheltering, told WTOP how the scam works.
When a pet owner posts about their lost pet on social media, they are then contacted by the scammers who claim to be from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, and that the pet owner’s lost pet has been found.
Just as a pet owner might be overjoyed to hear their pet is in safe hands, said Currier, the scammers tell the pet owner that the pet requires emergency surgery, “and the scammers are then demanding, over the phone, to save the pet’s life.”
Currier said it’s all a ruse. The scammers are using a spoofed phone number that appears to be from the shelter. She said the demand for payment should be a “red flag” because, “We’re never going to ask for financial information to be provided to us over the phone.”
Currier suggests if you get a call like this, hang up and call the shelter at either facility to inquire about your pet.
She suggests you can also call the Fairfax County Police non-emergency number to report the attempted fraud.
“There are times when pet owners are asked to provide financial reimbursement to us when we have provided care, but again, that would not be done over the phone,” Currier explained.
According to Currier, this scam is “happening nationwide.”
If your pet does become lost, she said, be sure to reach out to shelters in your area. At the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, you can report a lost pet “and we can share that information — we always put it on our website.”
