Hitting the tails: how online scammers attack pet owners
Online scammers can use various schemes to deceive pet owners, experts have warned about this. Attackers take advantage of the fact that people perceive their pets as family members and are willing to spend money on them, and in situations related to their health and safety, they can act impulsively and evaluate information less critically. For more information about how scammers attack pet owners, how dangerous such schemes are and how to protect yourself from them, read the Izvestia article.
Why are pet owners interesting to scammers
Pet owners are interesting to scammers as part of an emotionally vulnerable and economically active audience, Valeria Besedina, an analyst at the Positive Technologies research group, says in an interview with Izvestia. People perceive pets as family members, so in situations related to their health and safety, they may act impulsively and evaluate information less critically. This makes them susceptible to social engineering.
"The pet market itself creates additional attractiveness: people regularly spend a lot of money on food, medicines and veterinary services, overexposure, accessories and clothing for animals," says the expert. — High and constant demand creates a favorable environment for various fake online stores, fictitious breeders, fake charity fees, and so on.
The strong emotional involvement of pet owners is especially noticeable in situations where pets get lost, as a stressed person can easily lose their vigilance, adds PetKa Product Director (Kaspersky Lab) Dmitry Romanov. That is why many deception schemes are built not around a real abduction, but around attempts to capitalize on the owner's anxiety, he notes.
What schemes against pet owners to expect in 2026
In 2026, we should expect more technological and personalized fraud, says Valeria Besedina. Previously, attackers have already generated photos of animals using neural networks, so it is very likely that they will continue to use artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfakes to create fake photos and videos of "found" or maimed animals, as well as impersonate representatives of shelters, veterinarians and volunteers.
"In 2026, the main threats will be deepfake blackmail using AI to fake photos and videos of "found" animals, as well as hacking of "smart" feeders and surveillance cameras for data theft or extortion," adds the CEO of Secure—T (Solar Group) Khariton Nikishkin. — An increase in the number of fraudulent AI services offering fictitious veterinary diagnostics is also expected.
In addition, according to Dmitry Romanov, intruders can rely on announcements about missing pets, contact the owners and claim to know where their pets are. Next, the person is asked to transfer money first — "for help" or "for information" — after which the scammers disappear. In turn, Sergey Zolotukhin, a cybersecurity consultant at F6, points out that one of the most insidious schemes is fake pet pharmacies.
According to the expert, the attackers have been taking advantage of the fact that for several years a number of popular imported veterinary drugs for fleas, ticks, treatment and prevention of scabies and itching in dogs and cats have disappeared from free sale. Now these medicines are imported from abroad and sold mainly via the Internet.
"Scammers create websites and Telegram channels of non—existent veterinary pharmacies, through which they offer to purchase the necessary drugs, which are allegedly delivered by air from Turkey," notes Sergey Zolotukhin.
What schemes have you encountered against pet owners before
Meanwhile, attackers have been trying to use various schemes to deceive pet owners for several years. According to Khariton Nikishkin, the most common were and still are classic frauds with the requirement of prepayment for booking purebred puppies from ads and the creation of fake pages to raise funds for the treatment of non-existent animals.
"In 2025, a network of more than 20 Telegram channels offered to purchase scarce imported veterinary drugs through fake veterinary pharmacy websites," says Valeria Besedina. — The purpose of the scheme was to steal funds.
In another case, scammers used modern technology to deceive, says the interlocutor of Izvestia. As part of the scheme, they monitored social media for missing dog announcements. Having found the necessary information, the attackers used a neural network and Photoshop to create a photo and place their own advertisement for the sale of the missing dog to a fake volunteer group using the name of a real animal rights organization, but having nothing to do with it. Then they contacted the owner of the stolen pet and extorted money on behalf of several different people.
Sometimes attackers use a scenario with the threat of animal seizure as the first stage of complex fraudulent attacks, Sergei Zolotukhin notes. The scammers call on behalf of the housing inspectorate, ask how many pets are kept in the apartment, and then scare the victims by "exceeding the limit" and "seizing" cats and dogs.
— Under this pretext, criminals can demand to name the code from the SMS, after which they will play out a well—known scheme with non-existent "hacking" of the personal account of the state service, "transfers" to terrorists and demands to transfer money to a supposedly secure account, - says the expert.
Such attacks are aimed at people under stress or those who are looking for goods and services at prices significantly below market prices, Khariton Nikishkin notes. In addition to the direct loss of money, such schemes are dangerous by compromising bank data, which is later used to completely empty the accounts of victims.
How pet owners can protect themselves from scammers
As with any fraud, protection against schemes directed against pet owners should primarily be based on verifying information and avoiding emotional decisions, says Valeria Besedina. If you feel emotional pressure, you are probably facing scammers.
"Do not transfer money to people who allegedly found a pet, sell an animal, or raise funds for treatment without confirmation and real evidence,— advises the Izvestia interlocutor. — Keep in mind that today attackers can generate photos or videos.
In addition, Valeria Besedina urges you to pay attention to the signs of deepfakes.:
— in audio, an unnatural change in intonation or manner of speech, especially at the junctions of phrases, as well as atypical expressions and words may indicate the synthetic origin of the voice track.;
— fake videos can often be noticeable due to unnatural movements of the face or body, especially the mouth and eyes. Deepfakes often do not convey teeth, blinking, and gaze well, which makes facial expressions look strange.;
— an indirect sign of forgery may be poor video or audio quality. Criminals often deliberately simulate communication problems in order to hide defects in the synthetic image or voice.;
— You can use the generated content recognition software to check the received recording, photo, or voice message.
Sergey Zolotukhin advises against buying medicines for pets through messengers and chat rooms, as well as transferring money to strangers. Pre-paid items should only be ordered from trusted online stores and marketplaces and only through official applications. If you plan to use the services of an online store for the first time, you should search for reviews about it on the Internet.
— If you want to help homeless animals, the safest way to do this is through the websites of trusted charities — through random messages on social networks, there is a high risk of encountering scammers, — concludes the interlocutor of Izvestia.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
