A photo of a missing pet seemingly safe in someone else's care may bring relief, but scammers are using AI-altered images to convince worried owners to send money, exploiting the distress of searching for a beloved animal.
In a TikTok video, Cathy (@cathypedrayes), a consumer-safety content creator, shared a warning from Connecticut police about a lost-pet scam involving AI-manipulated photos.
To support a false claim that they've found a missing pet, scammers use an AI-edited version of the owner's own photo. They take the image from a missing-pet post, often in a neighborhood group, and change the background or the animal's pose before contacting the owner.
Owners are asked to pay by gift card or payment app before the supposed finder will return the pet, with the doctored image serving as apparent proof.
"Lost pet scams aren't new," Cathy explained. In this version, AI helps lend credibility to the deception.
According to Cathy, an owner who refuses to send money may also receive threats that the animal will be harmed.
"Losing a pet is emotional. Scammers will use that," Cathy wrote in the caption.
Cathy advised owners to omit one identifying feature from their missing-pet posts. A distinctive belly marking or lettering etched into the animal's collar could serve that purpose.
Asking about the unpublished feature lets owners check a would-be finder's claim without relying on information already visible in the posted photo.
Cathy...
A photo of a missing pet seemingly safe in someone else's care may bring relief, but scammers are using AI-altered images to convince worried owners to send money, exploiting the distress of searc...