Somerville Pet Owner Sounds Alarm as Suspected Scammer Exploits AI Image of Missing Cat

A resident of Somerville is raising awareness among pet owners after a distressing encounter with scammers following the disappearance of her cat on Halloween.

Stacey Ota’s beloved feline, Luna, vanished on the night of October 31, prompting Ota to distribute missing pet flyers throughout Somerville and share her plight on social media platforms.

Just two days later, Ota received a message from an individual claiming to have found Luna. Accompanying the text was a photograph that Ota suspects was digitally manipulated to convince her of its authenticity. The scammer suggested a public meeting but persistently inquired about payment for the return of her pet.

In response, Ota proposed discussing the payment details in person. However, after waiting for approximately 30 minutes without any sign of the individual, she realized it was a scam.

“I felt a surge of anger. It’s unfathomable how someone could exploit another’s despair, especially when they know a person is desperately searching for their pet,” Ota expressed in an interview with NBC Boston.

Ota subsequently took to Facebook to alert fellow community members about the incident, remarking, “It is absolutely appalling that there are people willing to take advantage of someone during an already distressing time.”

She contacted the Somerville Police Department to report the incident, emphasizing her desire to prevent others from falling prey to similar schemes.

Fortunately, Luna was located safe and sound. Ota joyfully updated her Facebook community on November 1, stating, “Luna has been found!! Thank you to everyone for your support in helping me bring her home.”

This incident underscores a worrying trend in which scammers target anxious pet owners eager to find their lost animals, preying on their emotions to extract money.

In a May 2025 alert, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued warnings regarding similar scams, advising that fraudsters often monitor social media posts about lost pets to identify potential victims. One prevalent approach involves scammers claiming to have found the missing animal while evading requests for proof and insisting on upfront payments.

The BBB also cautioned against fraudulent pet-finding services that demand advance payments, allegedly for high-tech solutions like drones to track down lost pets.

Recommendations from the BBB for pet owners include limiting personal details in public posts, demanding current photographs from anyone claiming to have found a pet, and refraining from sending money to unverified sources.

Somerville Animal Control echoed these concerns, advising residents to “Never wire money or use a prepaid debit card to pay anyone you don’t know.”

This isn’t an isolated event; previous reports from Massachusetts have highlighted similar scams targeting distraught pet owners. For instance, in June, an Everett woman searching for her lost dog paid a Facebook service that falsely claimed to have located her pet. When she was told the dog had been found, the service demanded additional payment for his return.