Sarah experienced a mix of hope and concern when her beloved cat went missing and she was contacted by someone claiming to have spotted her pet. Initially, this seemed like a promising lead.
However, it soon became apparent that the photos sent to Sarah were generated using artificial intelligence to depict a cat resembling her own. The message came with a demand for money, turning her hope into frustration.
“If this happened to me, it’s going to happen to someone else,” Sarah warned in an interview with 9News, highlighting her concerns about others facing similar scams.
Her black cat, Cinda, who has been a cherished companion for 16 years, went missing at around 9 p.m. on May 5 in the Middle Street area of Kingsford, Sydney.
The email Sarah received allegedly came from someone claiming to have “found her” cat. The images they provided showed a cat bearing a resemblance to Cinda, posed in various locations like a car and a sofa, but the authenticity of these photos was suspect.
They posted photos that looked like the cat in a car and on a sofa.
But when Sarah questioned them further, they said they wanted $200, with some to be paid by Apple gift card.
”They were like ‘I spent my last buck on her’. They were like, ‘Are you going to compensate me?’” she said.
And while like any cat owner Sarah said she’d hand over any amount of money to get her cat back, she started to get suspicious.
She said the photos didn’t seem to be her cat.
“I just knew it wasn’t her,” she said.
She showed them to her boyfriend who also realised something wasn’t right.
The messages were also written with strange grammar.
When Sarah questioned them, they threatened they would “go and sell her”.
Sarah said she was onto them but went ahead with their demands to meet at a local supermarket.
She went with her mother but nobody turned up.
“I’d give everything I have for her but we knew it was a scam, ” she said.
While the police told her there’s nothing they can do, she also reported what happened to Scamwatch.
She’s warning other pet owners to beware.
“What they’re doing is extortion and it’s a crime,” she said.
“I would say question it – don’t just rely on your own judgement.”
Cinda has green eyes, and one of her eyes has brown discolouration. Underneath the black fur on her neck is sparse white fur.
