Lost Pet Scam BE AWARE

Bakersfield CA

Description

There is a scam going around about lost dogs and it happened to me yesterday. I received a text from saying they knew who had my dog, that it was being used as a bait dog and had been beat up pretty bad, but I needed to call someone named Terence to retrieve my dog, he said the guy was worried the police were looking for the dog. So I call the number given, , no answer. In two seconds my phone rings and pops up “Spam Alert”, but it is the 442 number. I ask the guy if he has dogs for sale and he says yeah, he is a puppy breeder, what kind of puppy do I want. I said, I am not interest in a puppy, I want a dog that was being used as a bait dog. He mimics the same story as the first guy in the text that she was beat up etc. I tell him I don’t care, I will come get her. He said, “Oh I just took a deposit on her, so let me pay you for her.” I said she isn’t for sale, she is a family dog. The phone hangs up and I get a text from the number, saying have a good day. I played along in text, and said how much, he texts and says he will pay me $150 for her and to give him my cashapp name. I said, send me her picture, he said he can’t cause I will go to the police. So I respond, Venmo? He says, Cash App. I then text, asking for proof of the dog, at which point he calls me stupid *#&%^, and that I need to send him proof I own the dog. I quit responding at this point. I love my dog dearly and it has been almost two months since she has been gone, but this was just fishy and in every way possible wrong. I wanted to share with others, so the heightened emotion of missing a pet doesn’t get someone scammed. They tried all the tactics from scare (with her being a bait dog), to greed (offering money). There are some sick jerks in the world.