Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh warns of scam targeting owners of lost pets
The Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh is warning people about a scam targeting the owners of missing pets.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the shelter said it learned about "a troubling scam" that hits pet owners searching for their lost animals.
In the scam, someone spoofs HARP's number and claims to be with the rescue. They tell owners that their pet has been found, then they demand immediate payment and even threaten euthanasia.
"This is NOT us. We would never demand payment over the phone or threaten harm to any animal," HARP said.
Executive director Dan Cody said one of their volunteers had been posting flyers for her missing cat when she received a call from a number that posed as HARP, with their number even showing up on caller ID. The caller claimed if she didn't pay them a fee ahead of time and come to reclaim her cat, they would euthanize it.
"If you get someone on the line who is telling you that they are from the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, a) know that we will not be asking for money over the phone, b) look at our hours because if it is outside the normal hours of operation, most likely it's not from us, and c) come in to the shelter to meet your pet and to, you know, see them in person before you commit to doing anything," he said.
Pittsburgh Public Safety warned of a similar scheme in October, saying they believed a scammer was using websites and community pages like Facebook and Nextdoor to find victims.
A woman told KDKA-TV that while she was looking for her missing kitten Gary, she was targeted by someone pretending to be with Pittsburgh animal control. The scammer told her Gary had been injured and needed money for surgery.
Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh said to be cautious of anyone pressuring you to pay immediately. If something feels off, trust your instincts.
If you get one of these calls reportedly from Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh and you're unsure, the rescue says to call their lost pets line directly at 412-345-7300.