Norwalk Police Warn Residents About AI-Generated Lost Pet Scam: PD

NORWALK, CT — The Norwalk Police Department is warning residents about "a disturbing scam involving AI-generated images of lost pets."

In a Facebook post Wednesday evening, police said scammers are taking pictures of lost animals from social media pages and using AI to scam the owners.

"Once they take the picture of your lost pet, they generate an AI photograph of it and contact the owner claiming they found the animal," police wrote on Facebook. "They then contact concerned pet owners and demand money or prepaid gift cards in exchange for returning the pet."

According to police, scammers in some cases may request payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, payment apps or other difficult-to-recover methods.

Police provided the following ways residents can protect themselves from these types of scams:

• Be cautious of emotional appeals. Scammers often use urgency and fear to pressure you into acting quickly.
• Verify before you pay. Ask for specific details about where and when your pet was found.
• Request proof. Ask the person to provide a current photo or video of the animal and to include something specific in the photo (i.e. a note with today’s date).
• Never send money to an unverified person. Be especially cautious if you're asked to pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or other irreversible payment methods.
• Arrange a safe verification. If someone claims to have your pet, consider meeting them at your local police department or other public locations. Do not go alone.
• Use established resources. Report your missing pet through local animal shelters, animal control, veterinary offices and reputable lost-pet organizations.
• Report suspicious activity. If you believe you've been targeted by a scam, save screenshots, messages, phone numbers, usernames and payment information and report the incident to your local police department.

"Remember: A missing pet is an emotional and stressful situation and scammers know that. Take a moment to verify before sending money or personal information," police wrote on Facebook. "Please share this warning with your friends, family and neighbors so we can help prevent others from becoming victims. If it sounds suspicious, slow down, verify, and don't pay."