The Federal Trade Commission is warning people about a new scam in which pet owners are receiving calls or text messages purportedly from the local SPCA or another animal shelter telling them that their car or dog was hit by a car and that an immediate payment of $500 is needed to pay for immediate emergency care. This is an easy scam to recognize if you are home when you receive the call or text and your pet is healthy and with you. However, a loving pet owner who is away from his or her pet may fall prey to the emotional appeal and make the payment which the scammers often demand be by gift card, Zelle, Venmo or cryptocurrency.
TIPS
Scammers are aware that scaring people with phony emergencies triggers the amygdala which is a part of the brain also called the lizard brain which makes us act quickly and emotionally without rationally considering the situation which is why so many people are able to be victimized by scams like this. It is for this reason that whenever you are asked to make a payment in response to some emergency, you should take your time and analyze the situation and confirm the legitimacy of the emergency.
In this case, a quick call to the local SPCA or animal shelter which the scammers are posing as will indicate that this was all a scam. In addition, whenever you are asked to pay for a service by way of a gift card, Zelle, Venmo or cryptocurrency, you can be confident that it is a scam. Scammers love these forms of payment because they are quick, easy and anonymous.
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