BOKEELIA, Fla. — A Bokeelia family searching for their missing dog is warning others about scammers who prey on pet owners during their most vulnerable moments.
FOX 4's Bella Line spoke with the dog's owner and the groomer who has received what looks to be scam texts:
Amanda and her family were celebrating their dog Cocoa's birthday near Cayo Costa when the dogran off on Punta Blanca Island. As they desperately searched for their beloved pet, they encountered something unexpected: scammers trying to exploit their heartbreak.
"We miss her tremendously, and our kids miss her," Amanda said.
The family looked everywhere for Cocoa, and her groomer, Yaritza Gomez of Pooch Love, posted about the missing dog on social media to help spread the word.
"When I start posting and people start sharing and sharing, and I start receiving like messages from bad people," Gomez said.
Gomez noticed red flags in one message that included a photo of Cocoa, but it was the last picture taken of her with what appears to be a different background digitally added.
"I sent a message to them, 'Hey, can you please send me a video?' and you know, they mentioned that is not possible to them to send me a video because they have the camera damage," Gomez said.
When Line called the phone number with a Louisiana area code, it went to voicemail. Minutes later, she received a call from an Arizona number. After asking for video of Cocoa, he refused and hung up.
Gomez also received another suspicious text from an email. When Line searched the email address online, she found other people on social media warning about the same scammer, saying they received texts claiming their pet was being kept at the person's boyfriend's house and being starved.
"Every single day, we have people out there who lost their dogs, lost their pets, so we have people like that who can take advantage of those type of situations," Gomez said.
Line reached out to Cape Coral Police and they say quote:
"It is important to always pay attention to red flags and scams. If something doesn’t feel right, make sure you take all the necessary precautions to protect yourself. A police department is a great neutral location to ensure your safety while meeting up with strangers. We are always on the lookout for potential scams, and you should be, too."
Amanda says with the continued support from the Pine Island community, the search for Cocoa continues.
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