成人X站

A King County woman has lost nearly $5,000 to scammers who claimed to have found her missing cat.

鈥淗e was my baby and my companion, and I miss him terribly,鈥� said Joan.

On June 4, Joan鈥檚 cat, named Kitty, disappeared from her home. She told 成人X站 7 she had adopted him from the Seattle Humane Society about five years ago.

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鈥淚 called him and called him and called nothing. And he was there one day, and he wasn鈥檛 there the next day,鈥� she explained.

After six days had gone by, she says she got a call from a man who claimed Kitty had been found.

鈥淚 said, where is he? He said, 鈥榃ell, the police took him to the shelter, and he has to have surgery, because he鈥檚 injured,鈥欌�� Joan said.

Joan says the scammer asked for money for a surgery through Zelle, so she sent it. The next day, the man gave her updates on the 鈥榩rocedure.鈥� But he told her the payment didn鈥檛 go through, so Joan sent the money again, and again.

In total, she ended up paying $4,600 to the man on the phone.

鈥淗e said all the right things. And I was just lopping it up because the only thing I could think of was my kitty, he鈥檚 alive. He鈥檚 okay. He鈥檚 having surgery. He鈥檒l be fine,鈥� Joan said.

Joan believed she was going to听蹿颈苍补濒濒测 have Kitty in her arms again. She kept trying to visit Kitty, but she said the man on the phone kept telling her visits were not allowed.

It wasn鈥檛 until she showed up at the Seattle Humane Society that Joan found out Kitty was never there in the first place.

鈥淭he smart part of my brain shut off, and the emotional side turned on. And there were so many red flags and things that didn鈥檛 sound right to me, but I didn鈥檛 even think about it because I was so excited,鈥� Joan explained. 鈥淚鈥檓 upset by losing $4,600, but that is not the issue. I want my Kitty back.鈥�

The Seattle Humane Society says scammers are evolving, even copying their phone number.

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鈥淭hese scammers are preying on people鈥檚 desperation to have their families back. So they鈥檙e not just taking their money, they鈥檙e taking their hope,鈥� said Brandon Macz, PR/Social Media Specialist with the Seattle Humane Society.

Macz says you鈥檒l know the call is fake if they ask for money over the phone.

鈥淚f they are found and they are injured and they鈥檙e brought into our care, we will do our very best to take care of them and to make sure that they鈥檙e comfortable and to provide them as much medical care as we can within our abilities,鈥� he explained.

The Seattle Humane Society says you can check on聽聽or call them to double-check if your pet is with them.