Crime
The incident is among several reported cases of scammers exploiting pet owners searching for missing animals.
A Somerville woman whose cat went missing on Halloween is warning other pet owners to watch out for scammers who prey on people searching for lost animals.
Stacey Ota’s cat, Luna, disappeared on Halloween night, prompting Ota to put up missing-pet flyers around Somerville and post about her search on social media.
Two days later, Ota received a text from someone claiming to have found Luna. They also sent Ota an image she believes was created with AI to convince her they had the cat. The person suggested meeting in a public place, but repeatedly asked Ota whether she planned to pay for her pet’s return.
Ota said she told the person they could discuss payment in person. But after waiting about 30 minutes for the person to show up, she realized she’d been duped.
“I was infuriated. I kind of don’t understand how somebody can do something like that to somebody, especially when they know that you’re missing your pet and you want nothing more than just to have them back,” Ota told NBC Boston, which first reported the incident.
In a Facebook post, Ota also warned fellow Somerville residents of the incident, saying, “It is absolutely disgusting that there are people willing to exploit someone during an already heartbreaking and stressful situation.”
She added that she’d contacted the Somerville Police Department, but wanted to spread awareness so others don’t fall victim to similar scams.
Fortunately, her beloved Russian Blue was located safe and sound. Ota posted an update on Facebook on Nov. 1, saying, “Luna has been found!! Thank you to everyone in the community, on this page, and my neighbors for helping me find her and bring her home. Love you all.”
But Ota’s close call highlights a type of con that can target pet owners when they are anxious to find a missing animal — and may be more willing to trust someone claiming to have located it.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warned about similar lost-pet scams in a May 2025 alert, cautioning that scammers often comb social media posts about missing animals to find potential victims.
In one common version, someone texts a pet owner claiming to have found their missing pet, then makes excuses as to why they can’t provide a photo while pressuring the owner to send money or buy a gift card for the animal’s return. The BBB also warned about fake pet-finding services that ask for upfront payments, sometimes claiming to use drones or search teams to locate missing animals.
The bureau advised pet owners to limit the identifying details shared in public missing-pet posts, request a current photo from anyone claiming to have found their animal, and never send money to a stranger.
Somerville Animal Control also shares a similar warning, advising residents to “Never wire money or use a prepaid debit card to pay anyone you don’t know.”
It is not the first reported case of a Massachusetts pet owner being targeted. In June, an Everett woman searching for her missing dog paid a service she found on Facebook that claimed it could locate the animal. After telling her the dog had been found, the service allegedly demanded more money for his safe return, according to Everett Animal Control.
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