The Cousens family in Florida were targeted by fraudsters who used AI to make it look like their missing dog was having emergency surgery. Scammers tried to swindle the family out of $2,800 after making it appear like their pet had been hit by a car. The family had posted a photo of their missing Beagle mix named Archer on Facebook asking for help to bring him home.
They then received a call from someone claiming the dog had been hit by a car and needed emergency surgery, demanding thousands of dollars and sending photos of Archer on an operating table. A closer look at the photos revealed discrepancies including X-ray images dated to 2022 and irregularities in Archer's fur, indicating they were AI-generated. The address provided for the veterinary clinic was actually Deltona City Hall, raising the family's suspicions.
A neighbor tracked down the dog to a nearby location and Archer was returned safely home unharmed but worn out. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is investigating this case. This scam is thought to be part of a growing trend where criminals search for posts about lost pets on social media to find vulnerable owners and use AI to create fake images.