SPCA Impersonation Phone Calls to Defraud Pet Owners in Social Engineering Scam

• Scammers are calling pet owners, telling them that their pet has been in an accident
• They are impersonating the staff of the SPCA’s animal welfare team to seem trustworthy
• Pet owners are urged to make an urgent payment of $500 to save their pet

Phishers are impersonating the staff of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to dupe pet owners into paying. Scammers are posing as SPCA staff, which offers medical supplies and other services to animal welfare groups worldwide.

Cybercriminals make calls to unsuspecting individuals under the pretext of saving their pet that was hit by a car. Although detecting the authenticity of this social engineering attack would be simpler for those with their pets when scammers call, for those away, this may ring alarm bells.

Following winning the trust of those tricked into the scam, sometimes launched via text messages, pet owners are urged to make an urgent payment of $500 to treat their pet that has suffered life-threatening injuries.

Social engineering scams take a toll on people who are repeatedly called or sent spammy messages, consuming space in their inboxes. For those who are alert and well-read about recent cybersecurity news, know how to avoid being scammed.

However, those who find it difficult to filter legitimate communications from fraudulent ones can follow these instructions shared in a Federal Trade Commission report:

Verify: Call the organization to ask if the incident mentioned by the impersonator is in their records or not. Give as many details about the caller as you can, like their name, call recording (if that feature is enabled on your device), time of the call, name of your pet, shared ticket number (if any), and so on.

• Ask the caller to hold so you can verify the details. A scammer would most likely disconnect the call in fear of being caught. If not, you will still find out if they are genuine or not.

Urgent payment: Scammers will insist on paying in a mode and time that is convenient to them. They will be pushy and soon start sounding hasty or unprofessional, urging you to make the payment ASAP.

• Their suggested payment options would be limited to wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment through apps.

Report similar calls and other communications to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Frauds are not limited to pet scams. It extends to impersonation of various kinds, leveraging anonymity and distance to their advantage. Scammers impersonate job seekers, job providers, education institutions, and more.

They may be aimed at gaining sensitive information or financial fraud, or both.

In a recent report, the FTC warned of new online contacts who seem relatable and empathetic at first. They take on the garb of a close ‘friend’ and then fake an illness or emergency, asking for money.

Playing with the vulnerability of the target and extorting in the name of friendship is an easy ploy for cybercriminals, the FTC warned against.