Jenks woman claims she was scammed while searching for her missing cat

JENKS, Okla. — A Jenks woman says she was scammed while searching for her lost cat.

Deborah Perdue placed information about Ace online, offering a reward for the cat’s safe return home. Ace has been missing since April 5.

After the information about Ace was listed, Perdue says she got a text from an unknown number, saying they found her cat.

“We did an initial offer of $100. It didn’t take long and I got my first couple of scamming text messages. These people reached out and said, “I found your cat, I will stop its heart,” said Perdue.

Perdue said it didn’t take long to realize that the scammers were lying.

“They’re not sincere, they don’t have your cat. They are really just trying to get you to give them a code or personal information so they can somehow financially gain an advantage,” said Perdue.

The Better Business Bureau has several ways that pet owners can prevent themselves from similar scams. Avoid putting too much information on social media. Private messaging is a better option, and don’t place your phone number on the post.

Perdue is offering a $250 reward for Ace’s return. But, she’s worried to offer a higher amount due to scammers.

“We’re just worried the higher it goes, the more people are going to try to scam us. It’s just really sad that anybody would try to take advantage of a grieving family in this situation, it’s something I would of never have thought of and if it’s happening to us, it’s clearly happening to other people.”

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