.png?trim=0,0,0,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800 "Scammers used AI images to try and swindle ,800 from desperate family searching for missing dog – UK Times")
A Florida family says scammers tried to swindle them out of nearly $2,800 by using AI-generated images to make it appear their missing dog was injured and in need of emergency surgery.
The ordeal began Saturday night in Deltona, when Bill Cosens said the family’s Beagle mix, Archer, escaped from the backyard, he told Fox 35 Orlando. The family posted a photo of their beloved pet on Facebook, asking for the community’s help in bringing him home.
By Sunday morning, the family received a call from someone claiming the dog had been hit by a car and urgently needed surgery. The caller demanded nearly $2,800 upfront and sent what appeared to be convincing proof: photos of Archer on an operating table in a veterinary clinic.
However, a closer look at the photos revealed troubling inconsistencies, including irregularities in the dog’s fur and an X-ray in the images dated 2022.
“This isn’t Archer. This is AI,” Cosens said, recalling the moment the deception became clear. “It wasn’t obvious when you’re distraught.”
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The final red flag was that the address provided for the supposed “veterinary clinic” was really Deltona City Hall. Now knowing that it was all a ruse, Cosens turned to his neighbor for help. The man claimed he had seen a woman pick up Archer and drive away with him on the night he disappeared.
“He’s like, ‘Man, people are so low,” Cosens recalled the conversation with his neighbor. “He says, ‘Do me a favor. Send me the information, the texts, the pictures and the telephone number. I got ways I can track people.’”
The neighbor ultimately tracked the woman down to a nearby location, and Archer was returned home safe Thursday morning, Cosens told WESH, adding that the animal is “physically, emotionally, mentally just worn out.”
This scam is believed to be part of a growing trend in which criminals monitor social media, especially “lost pet” posts, to find vulnerable owners. They can take real photos shared online and use AI to create fake, emotionally charged situations, like injuries or emergency vet visits, to pressure people into paying quickly.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Cosens said he’s grateful for his neighbor’s help in safely bringing Archer back home, ending what could have been both an emotional and financial loss.
“I have to remind myself, as much as I’ve lost faith in humanity as a whole, then I look at my neighbor and go without him, I wouldn’t have my dog back,” Cosens told Fox 35 Orlando.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this case.
The Independent has contacted the sheriff’s office for comment.
--Photo-by-Matt-Crockett.jpeg?trim=0,6,0,6&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800 "Avenue Q, review – A Gen-X time capsule that should have stayed buried – UK Times")