Scammers are targeting owners of lost pets, demanding money for emergency surgery
SACRAMENTO – A new twist on an old phone scam is starting to hit the owners of lost pets in the Sacramento area.
On Monday, the Bradshaw Animal Shelter sent out an advisory about a phone scam they are starting to see locally. The county is calling the scam the "lost pet phone scam."
The scam plays out along the classic extortion script: A caller falsely claims that the victim's lost pet is actually in the care of the shelter and needs emergency surgery. That's when the scammer then demands money for the surgery.
Like many phone scams that have popped up recently, officials say the suspects use pressure tactics like caller ID spoofing to make it look like it's coming from the real Bradshaw Animal Shelter.
"They're very sophisticated," said Sergeant Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. "They can spoof the phone number, so when it pops up on your caller ID, it can look as legitimate as can be."
Jake Harris and his mastiff poodle mix Rufus go to the dog park at least once a day. It's only been seven months since Rufus was adopted, but in that short time, the two already share a special bond.
So to learn scammers exploit this connection to deceive people out of money, Harris said it is truly insidious.
"It's awful," he said. "It's like scumbags taking advantage of people's goodwill."
Shelter officials say their staff will never ask for financial information over the phone.
Exactly how many people have been targeted by the lost pet scam is unclear, but pet owners are being urged to be wary and to report any suspicious activity to the sheriff's office non-emergency line at (916) 874-5115.
The shelter notes that they do reach out to owners of lost pets if their animal is microchipped, but no payment would ever be asked for over the phone.