MARYLAND – Phone scams are on the rise, and locally, a new one is targeting families with missing pets.
Dr. Marianne Bailey with the Queenstown Veterinary Hospital says these scammers seek out lost pet ads and reach out to the owners via text, claiming to be a veterinary hospital that has found the lost pet. The text claims that the pet needs urgent medical treatment, and payment is required before treatment can begin. They often demand payment be made through money transfer apps such as Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, or PayPal.
“So a lot of people get that message and then they panic, they found my pet. There’s all these overwhelming emotions because you’re so excited they found your pet.”…