A growing number of cruel scammers are turning to AI to generate fake pictures of missing cats in a bid to fleece their owners of reward money.
Vulnerable pet owners from across the country are sounding the alarm amid a rise in AI-generated fraud, with almost £1.3billion stolen by scammers in 2025.
Scammers will send their victim an AI-generated picture of their missing pet alongside detailed backstories on where and how they found them.
They will then demand reward money, gift cards or large wire transfers, sometimes threatening to kill the pet if they do not receive compensation.
Neena Chauhan was contacted by a scammer after she shared her number on missing posters for her mother's cat, Creed, who went missing last July.
She said she was contacted by a woman using a 'random business account' on WhatsApp in April, who claimed she had had Creed for four months.
Ms Chauhan said the woman 'produced a very suspicious deep fake photo using the image from our original flyer with a background and slightly different body'.
The scammer, who claimed she was a 'deaconess', asked Ms Chauhan to buy a £200 Apple gift card for her two autistic children, who she said had found Creed.
Neena Chauhan was contacted by a scammer using a 'random business account' after she shared her number on missing posters for her mother's cat, Creed, last year
The scammer took a photo of Creed used in a missing poster circulated by the family (right) in an AI-generated photo of the cat appearing to sit in a garden
After messaging back and forth with the woman, Ms Chauhan decided through 'some patience and digging' that the person was a con.
She shared a warning about the scam on a Facebook group dedicated to reuniting pet owners with their animals earlier this year.
Ms Chauhan wrote: 'We love and miss our Creed and will never give up on finding him - but taking advantage of people's vulnerability like this is disgusting.
'Please share widely with others!'
When Stephanie Young received a message from a woman named Melissa saying she had found her missing cat Buddy, she was overjoyed.
The foster carer from Birmingham said she was '100%' convinced by an AI-generated photo of Buddy sitting in a garden that was sent by the scammer.
However, alarm bells started to ring after Melissa failed to turn up to their agreed meeting place and refused a cash payment, instead requesting 100 Apple gift cards.
When Ms Young discovered the photo was AI and questioned Melissa's authenticity, the scammer then threatened to 'sell or murder' Buddy.
Sarah Robinson was sent an AI-generated photo of her missing cat Cookie (pictured) alongside a request she sent the man who claimed to have him £40,000 via a money transfer link
She told the BBC she was left 'upset and angry at how anybody could be so evil'.
'I'm not going to deny that every inch of your body wants that cat back,' she said.
'They can hook you, the more they ask the more you think 'I better do it.''
Buddy remains missing 13 months after he first disappeared.
It was a similar story for Sarah Robinson, who was initially overjoyed when she was contacted about her missing cat Cookie by a man named Kherson H.
He sent her an AI-generated photo of the cat standing outside a window but seemed 'vague in location and stumbled on his words' when they spoke on the phone.
The final straw came when Kherson H threatened to kill Cookie if Ms Robinson didn't send him £40,000 via a money transfer link.
She told the BBC the interaction left her 'really, really worried' for her cat's safety.
'It's a very cruel thing to do,' Ms Robinson said. 'It's horrible, because you know it's not real but you're terrified it might be.'
The City of London Police – which leads the UK's national fraud response – advises pet owners to arrange to see the pet in person or request a real-time video call.
Owners are encouraged to insist on meeting with the claimant in a safe, public place to confirm the identity of the pet face-to-face.
Online scams, fake pet ads, or extortion attempts can be reported via the official Report Fraud Service or by calling 0300 123 2040.
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