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AI missing dog scam could involve several states

Volusia County, Florida, Sheriff Mike Chitwood is investigating an AI-generated scam targeting families of missing pets in Deltona and Texas. The scheme involves scammers sending fake images of injured dogs to extort money for emergency surgery.
Deltona resident Bill Cosens and his wife were targeted after their dog, Archer, went missing from their backyard on Saturday night. The caller claimed Archer was hit by a car and sent an AI-generated photo of the dog on an operating table.
Investigators tracked the scammer's phone number to a server in India, suggesting an overseas operation. In both cases, callers demanded over $2,000 for surgery, though the Cosens family ultimately did not pay.
According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, AI-related cybercrimes are surging, with the agency receiving over 22,000 complaints last year. Victims across the country lost nearly $20 million to specific scams preying on individuals' "heartstrings."
Sheriff Chitwood warned that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, stating, "The bad guys are way ahead of us. Every day, AI gets a little bit better." He emphasized the technology makes fraudulent activity difficult to identify.

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