Scammers are sending AI-made photos of missing pets, then demanding reward money and threatening the animals. Anyone searching for a lost pet should know the signs.
Scammers are using AI to fake photos of missing pets, telling owners the animal has been found, and then demanding money. When owners hesitate, some make threats to harm the pet. The BBC spoke to three women in England's West Midlands who say this happened to them.
Stephanie Young, a foster carer from Birmingham, lost her cat Buddy in September last year. She posted on pet rescue sites and social media groups. A woman called Melissa sent a photo and said she had fed the cat. She wanted reward money for her autistic grandchildren. Young was sure it was Buddy and went to the bank.
Melissa never showed up to the meeting, refused cash, and pushed for 100 Apple gift cards. When Young found the images were AI-generated and questioned her, threats to "sell or murder" the cat followed. Buddy is still missing, 13 months on.
Cam Chauhan, a supermarket worker from Wednesbury, lost her cat Creed in July last year. Nine months later she was sent an "exact picture" of him in a back garden. The sender asked for a £200 Apple gift card and refused to appear until it was sent by text. Her daughters spotted the risk, and she said no.
Sarah Robinson was asked for £40,000 to get her cat back. She then received threats and AI pictures of her cat that appeared to be outside a window. "You know it's not real but you're terrified it might be," she said.
Dr Rasha Kassem of Aston University says AI tools have made this kind of fraud "super easy, accessible and free". She says criminals create urgency to rush people. Young put it plainly: the more scammers ask, the more you think you had better do it. A photo that looks right is not proof. As Kassem put it, looking genuine does not make something real.
Anyone with a lost pet who has posted about it online is a possible target. People pushed to buy gift cards are at risk too. If your pet is safe at home, there is nothing to do now. It is still worth telling friends who are searching for a pet.
The alert box above lists the steps. The key idea is to confirm the pet is real and in front of you before any money moves. Pawboost, a free platform that helps find missing pets, suggests questions only a real finder could answer. Kassem advises against engaging with people who demand money and threaten pets. She says to collect information and report it.
The material does not say how many people have been hit, who is behind the messages, or whether any have been caught. All three owners reported their cases to Report Fraud, which is run by City of London Police. The BBC notes that almost £1.3bn was stolen by scammers in the UK in 2025, and that fraud has surged as criminals turn to AI.
A convincing photo of your lost pet proves nothing. Never pay or send gift cards until you see your animal in person.
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