Iowa (RI) — A particularly cruel scam is surfacing in central Iowa that preys on people who’ve lost a pet. Mackenzie Olk, spokeswoman for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, says the agency is getting calls from people who’ve put up signs or posted online that they’ve lost a dog or cat along with a phone number to call — and scammers are swooping in.
In another version of the scam, a caller who claims to be with the ARL has contacted owners of lost pets and falsely claimed the animal was found and needed urgent medical care.
Getting a call like this could send some people into a panic, but Olk says pet owners need to think carefully before blindly sending money to some caller…