FTC Warns Massachusetts of Scary Fur Baby Scam

Massachusetts folks are inundated with scams daily. Whether it's via phone calls, text messages, email, social media, or other forms of communication, we're constantly being surrounded by scams with the bad guys hoping we'll be off guard and make that mistake by clicking that bogus link or sending money to the wrong person. It can be exhausting.

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Scammers are kicking it up a notch, and Massachusetts needs to be aware and informed. Per usual, the con artists are manipulating our emotions by getting our fur babies involved in scams. If your cat, dog, or any pet were injured or sick and you had to get them back to health, you wouldn't hesitate, right? Well, that's what the bad guys are counting on. Here's what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says about this 'fur baby' scam.

Here’s how the scam works. You get a call or text from someone who says they’re a staff member at the local SPCA or another animal shelter. They tell you that your pet was hit by a car, and you need to pay $500 right away to save them. Conveniently, they tell you exactly how to pay.

As the FTC mentions in the article, if you're at home with your pet when you receive the call or text, then you know right away that this is a scam, but if your fur baby is missing, you may consider sending the money without thinking too much about it.

This scam incorporates tactics to take advantage of your emotions to get you to pay. In addition, the scammers use urgency, which is another popular tactic in everyday scams. No matter where you live, whether it's Boston, Worcester, Springfield, or anywhere, we're all susceptible to scams and need to keep our guard up and pay attention to what the scammer is trying to get us to do. You can view more about this 'fur baby' scam and what steps to use to ward off the scammers by going here.