LANSING, Mich. — Neighbor Jeffry Rattew tells me his dog Coco ran off from his apartment in Lansing last week, and he's been searching for her since.
“Every single day I've posted something on Facebook, re-shared my post, or made an update,” said Rattew.
He says he got a call about Coco on Saturday, with the caller saying his dog had been found, and the caller ID number was the number for the Capital Area Humane Society.
“Saying that they had our dog, that she was hit by a car and that she had a broken shoulder blade, and that she needed surgery, and that if we didn’t do the surgery she’d be euthanized,” said Rattew.
But Rattew tells me he got suspicious when the person on the other end would not let him see a picture to confirm it was his dog.
He hung up and went directly to the Capital Area Humane Society, where they confirmed the scam.
“You lose all your hope, you're broken because that’s the only thing you were looking forward to,” said Rattew. “It’s actually one of the most disgusting feelings in the world.”
He thinks the call was spoofed—that’s when the phone number appears real, even though it’s fake.
INFORMATION ABOUT SPOOFED CALLS FROM MICHIGAN STATE POLICE:
Its possible to spoof phone numbers, there are websites that offer that 'service'. That's why its imperative that before sharing, confirming or sending ANY personal identifying information, accounts, passwords etc to VERIFY who you are talking to. Most reputable agencies or entities wont ask for that information over the phone. If its something a person feels they need to do, go in person if possible look the number up from a verified source (website sometimes is a good option) then call back to see if it goes back to the same entity. Trust but verify.
If something has occurred I would suggest that the person make a report to IC3.gov.
As always, if an emergency occurs, call 911 as well.
Penny Myers with the Humane Society says this isn’t the first time a scam like this was attempted.
“The first incident happened back in January,” said Myers.
Myers says that incident had the scammer ask for credit card information after saying the missing pet had been injured.
“We would never call and say that their pet is in urgent care, and secondly, we would never ask for credit card information over the phone in that way,” said Myers.
The Capital Area Humane Society says lost pet posts online can work, just be cautious.
In the meantime, Rattew is continuing his search, hoping someone might be taking care of Coco.
“We just hope that we can get her back and bring her back home. We’re open with loving arms,” said Rattew.
The Capital Area Humane Society says they’re not the usual intake for lost animals—that’s typically handled by animal control. If you get a suspicious call, hang up and contact them using the number on their website.
