Don’t fall for the “lost pet scam”

If you’ve lost your cat or dog, there’s a new scam you should be aware of. It starts when you put a notice on social media including your phone number.

You start getting text messages from someone claiming to having your pet but the person won’t describe your pet, won’t send you a photo and wants you to send them cash or gift cards first.

What should you do?

“Make sure  you’re not mentioning specific physical attributes so the scammer can’t say what exactly the cat or dog looks like,” says Stephanie Garland of the Better Business Bureau.

“Never wire money or use pre-paid debit cards,” she continues, “and of course call the police if you think someone has stolen your pet.

Garland says you can also email www.bbb.org.