Scammers claiming to have a lost Oklahoma pet, demand money but don't have animal
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - An online scam in the metro area is taking advantage of lost pet owners, demanding money to return the furry friends without actually having found them. The scammers are taking advantage of vulnerable people, and unfortunately, some are falling for it.
One Oklahoma City dog mom told KFOR, after posting a couple pictures of her lost dog asking for help online, one scammer sent her a message claiming he had her dog.
But what he asked next was out of the ordinary.
“Pretty soon he demanded a reward and was basically holding my dog hostage. But as it turned out, he never had my dog... I was so disgusted. I was just so disgusted,” said Katherine Drum, owner of lost dog.
Katherine Drum’s dog Mr. Peepers has been missing since March 6th.
Someone online messaged her on Facebook claiming he had her dog and could meet her at this Family Dollar store close to her home. But only for a cost.
“He wanted $30 for gas and then $50 as a reward. So, 80 bucks all together... I personally didn't have the money. I was calling and trying to get everybody,” said Drum.
So, she grabbed a friend to go with her, got the money, and showed up with cash.
But he wouldn’t take it because he wanted the money in advance.
So, he never showed up to meet them.
“I went anyways just in case because I was willing to do anything.. He said either send it through PayPal or deposit it in an account. And I just figured, why would I send money without having my dog in my arms? said Drum.
So, Katherine asks him to send a picture of her dog and that’s when she realized, he didn’t have Mr. Peepers.
“He sent me a picture of my dog, but he downloaded it from Facebook from my own page and blurred it so it looked different,” said Drum.
Drum is desperate to find her dog, and just wants closure.
“People scamming for money, but to prey on people that are willing to do anything to get their dog back is pretty disgusting. I mean, just a low-life,” said Drum.
Oklahoma City Police said to never send money in advance for anything, but if you do plan to meet them make sure you go to a well-lit area that has a lot of people.
“It's important to note that if you find yourself in a conversation for a sale of an item, make sure that you know who you're dealing with,” said MSgt. Dillon Quirk, assistant PIO OKCPD.
Oklahoma City Police also said if you do find yourself victim to a scam like this, you can report it to police.
Drum said she’s had at least five other scammers come forward after this incident claiming they have her dog, demanding for money.
If you know where Mr. Peeper's is, call Katherine Drum at (405)455-0479.