Colorado woman nearly falls victim to scam exploiting people like her who are searching for lost pets

A Colorado woman says she nearly fell victim to a scam preying on pet owners' desperation.

Dominique Norton says her cat, Inky, vanished from her Aurora home near 11th and Nucla Street on Sept. 22. The 2-year-old black cat is microchipped, and Norton has been posting flyers and sharing her information on social media in hopes someone would find her. Then came the call.

"He said he was from Aurora Animal Hospital," Norton said. "He told me someone found Inky a block from our house, that she'd been hit by a car and needed emergency surgery."

The caller, who used a "No Caller ID" number, asked Norton to verify the last four digits of Inky's microchip and quickly pushed for payment.

He claimed the surgery would cost $3,000, but if she used a program called "Animal Care Credit," it would drop to $1,500. He said she could pay through Venmo, PayPal, or a money order labeled with an FDIC number.

"That's when I started realizing something wasn't right," Norton said. "He got aggressive, saying it was urgent and that my cat could die if I didn't pay right away."

Norton hung up and immediately called Aurora Animal Hospital directly.

Staff there told her no such veterinarian works for them and no black cat was being treated at their clinic.

Dr. Dayna Willems, Medical Director at Aurora Animal Hospital, says Norton isn't the only one.

"We were alerted yesterday to a scam where somebody is impersonating one of the veterinarians at Aurora Animal Hospital," Willems told CBS Colorado. "They're reaching out to people who've posted about lost pets and demanding large sums of money for supposed emergency care."

Willems said the hospital has received three or four similar calls in a single day, and they fear there could be more victims. She says a similar scam occurred in Denver last year.

"It's horrifying that someone would take advantage of people who are already missing their pets," Willems said. "For many owners, this is their worst nightmare -- to be told their pet has been found injured and then be asked for thousands of dollars to save them."

She stressed that Aurora Animal Hospital does not accept Venmo or PayPal and would never demand money upfront before helping an injured animal.

"If we find a pet that needs care and we can't reach the owner, our first priority is always the animal," Willems said. "We'll figure out finances later. We will never call demanding money."

The hospital has since contacted the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and posted public warnings to help spread the word.

For Norton, the call felt like a violation.

"It's cruel. I've been looking for Inky for weeks," she said. "They used my grief and my hope that she'd been found to try to steal money."

Norton believes the scammer found her number from a social media post where she had shared contact details for her family and pictures of Inky. She warns others to be cautious when sharing personal information online.

She worries the scammer could trick others, especially vulnerable or older pet owners.

"My mother-in-law has dementia," she said. "If someone called her saying her dog was hurt, she would have paid right away. That's what scares me most, they're targeting people who just want their pets back."

Both Willems and Norton urge pet owners to take extra steps if they get a call like this:

• Never send money through Venmo, PayPal, or gift cards for emergency animal care.
• Call the clinic directly using a verified phone number.
• Check the clinic's website for a list of staff members.
• Report suspicious calls to local law enforcement and animal control.

"Scammers are always looking for the next angle," Willems said. "Sadly, they're exploiting the love people have for their pets."

As for Inky, the small, black cat with a gentle personality, is still missing.

"Her birthday was just last week," Norton said. "She's only two, and we just want her home."