CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A local animal shelter is warning residents about a scam targeting people with missing pets.
The Humane Society of Catawba County says someone is calling people who’ve recently lost a pet claiming the animal has been found and needs emergency surgery.
The agency says it’s received several calls from victims who were contacted by the scammers.
They say many of the pet owners are vulnerable after posting online about their missing animals, which provides the scammers with the information needed to make the calls. The caller ID shows the number as belonging to the Humane Society of Catawba County.
The scammers ask for $1,000 to be sent through Chime or PayPal for the supposed surgery.
“The fact that they are calling these specific people and giving them false hope and also asking them to give money when they would feel obligated to do anything for that animal is inhumane,” said Emily Buckland with the Humane Society Catawba County.
The Humane Society urges people not to pay the money and has posted information on its Facebook page about the scam.
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