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El Paso, Texas - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warning about the increasing prevalence of lost pet scams. These scams typically involve fraudsters taking advantage of pet owners' distress over their missing animals. Scammers often create fake profiles on social media, join missing pet pages, and falsely claim to have found the lost pet, demanding money for various fabricated expenses. The FBI advises pet owners to be cautious and aware of potential red flags.

Key Points

• Common tactics include demanding payment for pet injuries, creating fake animal recovery companies, and using edited images of the pet from the owner's posts.
• Red flags include the inability to provide photos of the pet, using edited images from the owner's posts, making threats, making excuses for not showing the pet, and asking for money or sensitive information.
• Pet owners are advised to verify the identity of individuals claiming to have found their pets by asking for in-person meetings or specific details about the pet.
• To report a lost pet recovery scam, individuals can contact Petscams.com, the Federal Trade Commission, the Better Business Bureau, and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.