COBB COUNTY, Ga. — An alert for dog owners with missing pets -- scammers are hoping to take advantage of the love for your furry friend and cash in.
Cobb County Animal Services explained scammers are pretending to find missing pets and convincing people to pay out big money.
"It was the most believable scam I have ever heard of," Connie Davis, a resident in Cobb County said.
Davis is talking about what officials are calling the lost dog scam, when someone calls the owner of a lost pet and ask for money for the pets return.
Davis said the person explained that her dog Darla was in surgery and they would call her back when the surgery was done with more details of what they would need to do next to get the animal back. But before receiving that call, she got in her car and rushed Cobb Animal Service be reunited with her missing pet.
"The whole way I’m like so happy and then I get there... I have the paper and I was so sure, I was so sure because of the number and the name," Davis said fighting back tears. "And it wasn't her, it was a scam."
Ross Cavitt with Cobb County said Davis is not the only victim. In fact he said scammers have taken advantage of more than a dozen people already.
"You can imagine if you lose a pet and you're little bit in an emotionally fragile state, so people tend to go to social media, they put up signs along the side of the road that contains information about their lost pet and their contact information," Cavitt said. "So scammers have been using that contact information to pretend they're with Cobb County Animal Services."
Cavitt explained the scammers aren’t just using your person information, but they are also requesting money.
"The scammer says, 'The animal was sick, it requires medical attention so we need you to pay up for that before you get your pet back,'" he explained,
Cavitt said Cobb County Animal Services does not call and request payment over the phone and now they want pet owners to be on alert.
As for Davis she’s hoping someone will return Darla soon.
"She's just the sweetest," Davis said. "She deserves a really good home and to be inside."
For anyone who thinks they have seen Davis' dog Darla, you can call 813-LOST-PET to help bring her home.