SPCA warns pet owners of scam calls demanding payment for missing animals

The SPCA has warned pet owners to be vigilant of fraudulent calls being made to pet owners from people posing as SPCA staff.

Pet owners have been urged to be vigilant as a cruel and deceptive scam targeting pet owners was reported to the SPCA.

In an online alert the SPCA says it is aware of “fraudulent calls being made around New Zealand, from one or multiple people pretending to be SPCA staff and/or veterinarians”.

SPCA general manager for animal service/national support Corey Regnerus-Kell said it was first alerted to the calls on November 26 by a member of the public. He said they have not yet been informed of calls from Northland, but urged pet owners to notify authorities should they receive the call.

The caller appears to be targeting pet owners who have lost their animals, stating the animals are being held by them and payment in the hundreds of dollars – to be made over the phone – is required to retrieve them, the alert says.

“We have alerted all our centres and have been working with Companion Animals New Zealand who own and manage the LostPet website and used all our external channels to alert people to the scam.”

Regnerus-Kell said so far, the SPCA was aware of three calls, but it could know of the calls only once the public notified the SPCA.

“The scammers appear to be targeting pet owners who have lost their animals, stating that the animals are being held by them and that payment in the hundreds of dollars (to be paid over the phone) is required to retrieve them. If your animal is found by SPCA, we will never request payment in this way.”

Regnerus-Kell said it had not noted an increase in scams targeting pet owners and urged people to share information about the scam with friends and whānau who have pets.

“The best way to protect your pet and be able to find them if they go missing is to make sure they are microchipped. Be aware of fraudulent phone calls and never provide personal details or money over the phone.”

Pet owner Wynand Jan Claassens, from Auckland, received the scam call last week, with the scammers claiming they had his missing cat.

“It was from a private caller and that was already ringing alarm bells. They claimed they were from a veterinary clinic and they claimed that my cat was in a fight or something and they had it.

“They asked me for information, they asked for the last four digits of my cat’s microchip and then they said I will need to make an online payment.”

Claassens said there were several red flags and the request for payment was the biggest one.

“They asked for $490 and then I would get my cat. They were not having any of it when I said I would come into the clinic and pay at the shop.”

He said they went on to hurl profanities at him when he declined to make the payment to them.

“It sounded like two British guys and they were not very well spoken. There was a lot of mumbling going on.”

Claassens’ cat has been missing since last week and he believes the callers got his details from the “missing cat” post he made online.

“There were some telltale signs that made it obvious it was a scam. I got the call not long after I posted my cat.”

Suspected scam calls can be reported by calling Netsafe and information about how to do so can be found on its website.