San Antonio residents are being warned about a new scam targeting pet owners. Scammers are using fake caller IDs to impersonate San Antonio Animal Care Services (SAACS). They claim that pets have been picked up by SAACS with serious injuries and demand urgent payments through cash-sharing apps for emergency veterinary care. Pet owners are urged to be cautious and avoid sending money to unknown callers, according to the city's official website.
The ploy plays out with a phone call where the scam artist insists that payment must be made for the pet's medical treatment before it can be returned home; in essence, exploiting the visceral fear pet owners naturally feel for their animal's well-being, SAACS, however, never charges pave the way for medical care, nor do they request any form of payment via cash apps. To protect yourself and your furry companions, SAACS advises pet guardians to verify the legitimacy of the caller by asking for details that only a current caretaker would know—they are known to provide such information as rule, and to contact the shelter directly through their official channels, which includes their website and social media platforms—or request an official phone number to confirm the caller's claims, as detailed by the city's news release.
If something about the conversation seems off, chances are high that it's a scam, legitimate entities like SAACS simply do not demand payment upfront or refuse care to impound animals, these facilities operate on a basis of care and reuniting lost pets with their owners, not on profiting from their distress. Pet owners who believe they might have been targeted by this scam should report the incident to the San Antonio Police Department at 210-207-7273 and they can also touch base with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report the scam either by calling the Consumer Response Center at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or submitting a report online at the FTC's official website.
