Scammers pretending to be Denver Animal Shelter employees are calling individuals who misplaced their pets, telling them they’ve been hit by a automobile and have to pay a $500 deposit by telephone to begin emergency surgical procedure, metropolis officers mentioned Friday.
The rip-off has hit Denver earlier than and seems to be reemerging within the metro space, shelter employees mentioned in a information launch. Scammers are additionally posing because the Dumb Associates League Buddy Middle in Citadel Rock and asking for $1,300.
Rip-off callers posing as Denver shelter employees present on caller ID as 311, the town’s primary data quantity, in line with a information launch. Scammers are possible discovering individuals by misplaced pet social media websites like PawBoost and 24HourPetconnect.
“It’s disgusting that anybody would reap the benefits of somebody who has misplaced a pet, who may be very emotional and determined to seek out their furry member of the family,” Denver Animal Shelter Director Melanie Sobel mentioned in a press release.
“Fortunately, the pet homeowners who’ve been contacted by scammers pretending to be with us are suspicious and don’t fall for the ploy,” Sobel continued.
Individuals who lose their pets ought to usually test animal shelters, which replace their web sites hourly, and publish indicators of their neighborhoods.
Anybody who will get a name from somebody claiming to be from an animal shelter and demanding cash ought to grasp up and name the shelter instantly, Denver officers mentioned.
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