A San Jose woman searching for her missing dog says her plea for help was twisted into a high-tech shakedown after a scammer sent her an AI-altered photo of her pet and demanded immediate payment, according to shelter officials. The text message claimed the dog needed emergency surgery and threatened euthanasia if money was not transferred right away. When the owner called the city shelter, staff confirmed her dog was not there.
According to KRON4, the scammer leaned on emotional blackmail, sending the AI-edited image of the dog and pressing for money over text. The message said veterinary care would only continue after the owner paid up. The outlet reports that scammers are increasingly combing through public lost-pet posts and then weaponizing that information to create false urgency and pressure frantic owners into paying.
The City of San José Animal Care & Services is now warning residents that the shelter will never request payment via text, email, or social media. Instead, officials urge owners to verify any claim about a found pet by searching the PetCompass database or calling (408) 794-7297 directly. Staff said every bogus lead they have to chase pulls time and attention away from real animals in need of care.
The problem is not a one-off. In February, the shelter said a doctored image of a dog named Lumi ricocheted across social media and triggered a flood of calls and messages. The viral post falsely suggested Lumi was in danger. 'We were flooded with calls, and the dog has already been adopted, not in danger of euthanasia,' Monica Wiley, deputy director of Animal Care & Services, told ABC7.
Scammers are also hitting pet owners beyond San Jose. An Oakland woman who lost her French bulldog received an AI-generated proof of life photo and was told to send $300 through Cash App or Zelle, according to KTVU. In some cases, experts say, the images are edited to show injuries or a clinical setting, making the scam look more like a real veterinary emergency.
How the Scam Works
First, scammers scan public lost-pet posts, looking for detailed descriptions and clear photos. Then they use AI tools to create a convincing image of the missing animal, often tweaking it to appear injured or inside a vet clinic. Next comes the script: an urgent story about expensive treatment or looming euthanasia, coupled with a demand for quick, usually untraceable, payment.
They push hard on two things, according to tech experts. 'Time limit and give me money. Those are two red flags here,' tech expert Ahmed Banafa told ABC7.
Verify Before You Pay
Officials say that if you receive a message from someone claiming to have your missing pet, your first move should be to check the shelter’s PetCompass listing and call the shelter directly at (408) 794-7297 before sending money or sharing any financial information.
They recommend asking anyone who claims to have your animal to meet in a public place or bring the pet to the shelter for verification. Do not give out bank or card details over text. Save screenshots of all messages, photos, and phone numbers so you can share them with the police.
Suspicious messages should be reported to local law enforcement and to the shelter, which can flag patterns and respond to fraudulent posts. The shelter is urging residents to rely on official channels rather than viral social media posts, and to report questionable listings so staff can investigate. Pet owners who believe they have been targeted are asked to preserve all communications and contact the shelter or the police for help.
