Scammers using AI-generated images of missing pets to demand reward money

When Stephanie Young's cat Buddy went missing from her garden in September last year, she flooded pet rescue sites and social media groups with information about him. Her hopes were raised when an image of him was sent through by a woman named Melissa, who claimed to have fed her cat and wanted reward money for her autistic grandchildren.

The foster carer from Birmingham was "100% certain" she had found her cat and remembered thinking Buddy had picked a lovely garden to sit in as she got money out of the bank to pay for his return. Within hours, she had agreed to meet Melissa nearby to collect him, but the individual never turned up, refused a cash payment and pushed for 100 Apple gift cards as a reward.

Threats to "sell or murder" her pet soon followed when she discovered the images of Buddy were AI-generated and questioned the woman's authenticity. Young is one of a growing number of people affected by an online scam where fraudsters threaten to kill missing pets after owners refuse to pay hundreds of pounds for their return.