A middle Tennessee animal shelter is urging pet owners to take caution as it says scammers are assuming its identity.
According to reports, scammers pretending to be employees of the Montgomery County Animal Shelter are attempting to bilk the owners of lost pets out of money. The scam involves calling those owners of lost pets and claiming that their pet has been found. The scammers then ask for payment in exchange for return of the pet.
One of the people being impersonated is Dave Kaske, the director of Montgomery County Animal Care and Control. The scammers have reportedly been using Kaske’s name to make their scheme seem more legitimate.
“Scammers were calling members of our communities that had a lost pet and posing to be our agency,” Kaske reportedly said.
“We just would like to advise people that if our agency reaches out to you, we will tell you all the information needed, and we are going to verify ownership and tell you where you need to be. If you still feel suspicious about the call, contact our agency,” said Kaske.
In a more sinister case, one of the scammers called an already distressed pet owner, telling them that their pet has been found dead.
“One of those scammers informed the pet owner that they had found their pet deceased so that’s even more upsetting. You think your pet is lost and then you’re told it is deceased,” said Kaske.
Similar scams are becoming more common, according to the Animal Human Society, though most involve paying a fake breeder for a dog up front, and then never receiving the dog.
“According to the Better Business Bureau, pet scams are expected to cost Americans more than $3 million this year; the current median loss is $750,” the Animal Humane Society said. “Fraudulent listings for French bulldogs and Yorkshire Terries are particularly pervasive.”
The Better Business Bureau offers several tips to avoid being caught up in a pet scam. Among them are the following:
- Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. If that isn’t possible, request a live video call to view the animal, meet the breeder, and evaluate the facility.
- Conduct a reverse image search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, it’s likely a fraud. You also can search for distinctive text from ads or testimonials, to see if the seller copied it from another website.
- Avoid wiring money, or using a cash app or gift card. These payment methods offer no way to get your money back if you are the victim of fraud.
- Do research to get a sense of a fair price for the breed you are considering. Think twice if someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, it could be a fraudulent offer.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “A Cat in an Animal Shelter” by Thomas Park.
