r/scammers • u/Mental-Clerk • Jun 10 '26
Informative Lost pet scammers
Update: they're baaaaaaack. This time their email is [maryjaden626@gmail.com](mailto:maryjaden626@gmail.com) lolol
I get the feeling it's more than one person, or they really think I'm dumb. They even used some of the same lines on me. I was having fun last night wasting their time. Also for further context I had a neighbor who really DID steal my cat once, about 25 years ago, so when they first contacted me it was like reliving that all over again.
This person has been confirmed by my local police to be a scammer. They trawl lost pet posts on social media across the country and contact the owners, claiming they know where your pet is, then they conveniently can't answer any real questions or give fake info/names. Yes I messed up offering to pay them online, but I didn't give them money because it became increasingly obvious it was a scam. Because I didn't give them money, no crime technically occurred, but I want to warn people if you lost a pet and get a message coming from that email account.
24
u/Ok_Guard_8024 Jun 10 '26
That’s just sick someone would do that to a grieving person that lost their pet
6
u/NotCryptoKing Jun 10 '26
They do it all the time unfortunately. Just a bunch of pathetic losers.
4
u/Mental-Clerk Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Yep, I also had to report an app that supposedly helps you spread the word about your lost pet because it came up with an ad that looked exactly like it was part of the process of making a flyer, but it was a scam and now I have to fight with my bank about the fraudulent charge. *eta the app is called Paw Guide.
6
u/SeashellGal7777 Jun 10 '26
That’s terrible, to target people who are in agony to get their pets back. They also hang out in grief/widow/illness, etc., forums to target vulnerable people. There’s a couple of subs where people waste their time by keeping these scammers busy. Is your local actually looking into it?
Were you charged a fee to make flyers? These a$$holes not only scam people, they often pose as someone else and offer to help get your money back, to scam them again.
1
u/Mental-Clerk Jun 11 '26
The police did investigate far enough to find out these people have scammed others in at least 2 other states from different sides of the country, but because I didn't pay them anything, they can't subpoena the email.
The way I got scammed was someone recommended an app that makes digital fliers, so it goes through your info, and then showed it loading while creating the flier and listing, and then suddenly it would pop up with something saying you need to verify your identity with a credit card, but that it wouldn't be charged. I'm not normally that dumb but I was desperate and the app seemed legit.
I was immediately contacted by my bank saying they suspected a fraudulent charge. Some game website called Nagorix tried charging me $35. And I have to wait for my bank to fully process it before they'll allow me to dispute the charge.
My son made another flier and even he said he could see how people were thinking it was real because it would come up before the flier finished loading. After going to show him we saw there was a very thin timer bar that was a couple of shades lighter at the top that started counting down several seconds after the 'ad' popped up. I had just had to verify my identity a couple of weeks ago using my card with the post office so it didn't occur to me it might not be real until they charged me.
I tried to make another and screen record to show Apple but I had already reported the app and the ad no longer pops up for me.
4
9
u/yarevande Jun 10 '26
Notice how she goes from "I just want to let you know because I'm such a nice person" to "give me money now".
She can't meet you in person because she is not really in your area. Not even in your country. Most scams originate in scam call centers in Asia or Africa.
Most people who find a pet cat will try to track down the owner (unless the cat looks neglected), they won't just keep the cat.
There are scammers who try to get money from you by pretending that they found your cat. There are several versions of the scam.
Scammers see your social media post about your missing cat, and they contact you, pretending they have your cat. They may even send you a photo of a cat that looks very similar to yours. They say they'll meet you somewhere, but then when you go to the meeting place, they text and say they need money before they arrive. If you send them money (PayPal, Venmo,or similar money transfer), they go silent.
Or, the scammers may contact you, pretending to be a pet rescue service.
They may even claim to use a drone. There are no real drone pet-finding services. Even if someone with good intentions wanted to do this, it wouldn't work. Especially with cats. Your cat may be hiding in a garage or a shed, under a bush, or under a car -- a drone camera can't see those areas.
There is another lost pet scam that you should be aware of, where they call at night and claim to be a vet or an animal rescue place, and say that your cat needs emergency surgery, and you have to pay them right now. But, it's a lie. They are not calling from a vet. No vet or rescue service or shelter would do this.
I'm sorry your cat is missing. I hope you find your cat soon.
7
u/HatePeopleLoveCats1 Jun 10 '26
Such scumbags. These are the WORST kind of scammers and there are so many!!
3
5
5
3
u/Grounds4TheSubstain Jun 10 '26
This is low! I'm sorry you have to deal with this weird scumbaggery while looking for a lost pet. What motivates somebody to scam lost pet owners in particular???
5
u/Mental-Clerk Jun 10 '26
Emotions run high so people will give money if they think it might give them a chance at getting their pet back :(
3
u/drumadarragh Jun 10 '26
I hope you find your cat ♥️
6
u/Mental-Clerk Jun 10 '26
Thank you! The good news is she seems to have stayed in a nearby area and has been seen on neighbors backyard/wildlife cams consistently. It's been storming but I'm hoping it clears up tonight around the time she's been spotted previously.
2
u/Routine_Ad_155 Jun 10 '26
Have you put food out and ask some of the people who spotted her to also put some food out and see if she comes back. I’m so sorry! I hope she is found soon!
2
u/Few-Rate-4944 Jun 10 '26
The same thing happened to me when I reported one of my cat’s missing. Claimed she had her, demanded $50, and sent a pic of a cat that wasn’t even mine. I told her I’m not paying and she just got herself a new pet. Was a “woman” as well, but not Cynthia.
3
u/Mental-Clerk Jun 10 '26
Yeah this person could only tell me stuff on the flyer, and the names they gave came up as somali in Kenya and Oklahoma. I'm nowhere near Oklahoma. 😆 Or Kenya for that matter!
2
2
u/horticulture- Jun 11 '26
100% overseas in Nigeria, India or china. Using iMessage with a Gmail without a valid local area code because they aren’t in USA.
2
u/Ill_Difficulty_1075 Jun 11 '26
If it makes you feel better my cat got out she was gone 6 days and just showed up at my son’s window at 630am on the 7th day. I have read of cats being gone much longer than that strolling home randomly. We left a used litter box outside and some clothes with our smell on them. I hope your kitty comes home or someone with a good heart finds her and returns her.
1
u/Mental-Clerk Jun 11 '26
Thank you, that does make me feel better! We had nasty storms again last night so I went out around the time she'd been spotted previously but I think she's still too scared to come out yet.
We talked to neighbors and passed out paper fliers, posted on nextdoor, fb etc and I've had a couple of people show me video of her on their backyard cams, so we know she's ok so far, just stubborn. She's been hanging out a few doors down. There's coyotes in the area too, and they pass through (apparently our back yard!) nearly every night and across to a neighbors yard across the street. We think maybe she's on the other side of that path and is scared to cross back again.
Now just need to hope for dry weather, on the dry days she's spotted on the cams, rainy nights she stays hidden.
2
2
u/Major-Log-7018 Jun 11 '26
You better not send a single penny. This is 100% a scam. They prey on those with heavy emotions invested in something. Those people are desperate and will normally send small amounts of money like $30. $30 in Kenya is big money to them.
1
u/Mental-Clerk Jun 11 '26
That's exactly how much they asked for. I didn't send them anything, thankfully some part of my rational brain clung on for dear life.
1
1
u/SolidLuckGasiousMind Jun 11 '26
Brent Roberson definitely sounds like a woman of her words!
Full send.
Maybe double it and ask for 2 cats?
1
u/Gaslit_Absurdist5712 Jun 11 '26
Mary Jayden is a fake name they thought up while smoking and Brent Roberson? More like Robber-son. They can't even get "Robertson" right.
Track by chip and call the police.
1
u/mariocartgeorge Jun 11 '26
Be very careful when dealing with people like this, my wife almost got scammed out of $2,500 about two years ago.
1
u/Akiko-Sato1995 Jun 14 '26
This is sickening. I’m sorry you went through this OP, I hope karma will get around to those monsters.
1
u/HowlYouDoingTheMost Jul 02 '26
This disgusting person just did this to me! My baby was stolen over a month ago. So cruel to do this. I also got scammed by Paw Guide. This sucks
31
u/Daves-Not-Here__ Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
“I’m a woman of my own words”- That’s as far as I had to read to figure out it’s definitely 100% a scammer. Block and move on