Scammers use fake AI images to exploit owners hunting for lost pets
Scammers send AI-generated photos posing as proof they have the missing pet, then demand money or cryptocurrency.
When Westyn Ruyter's Irish wolfhound Bundy went missing, the WA man offered a $10,000 reward on Facebook. Soon after, someone messaged saying they had found the dog and arranged to meet him at a general store.
Westyn Ruyter grew suspicious when no one showed up and asked for proof. The person sent a photo of Bundy in a crate that was obviously fake.
The dog bowl looked unreal, the cage was blurred, and it was just Bundy from his original post placed in a box. The ACCC is aware that people with missing pets are being targeted by scammers.
A cybersecurity professor warns that scammers hunt for personal information in online community groups and use AI to target people at an individual level.
- $10,000
- Reward offered
- Westyn Ruyter
- Pet owner
- Balingup, Western Australia
- Location
- Irish wolfhound named Bundy
- Dog breed
Why it mattersPet owners posting reward notices risk being targeted by scammers who use AI to fake proof. The scam drains money and hope when you are already devastated.
AustraliaThousands of Australians lose pets each year; this scam now adds a new layer of heartbreak and financial risk to already desperate searches.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 6 h ago
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