Roanoke, Virginia – The Roanoke City Police Department has issued an advisory regarding a scam related to lost pets.
The department reports that an individual searching for their lost pet was contacted by someone falsely claiming to be a police officer, demanding payment to return the pet.
Crime Prevention Specialist Caitlyn Cline stated, “You will never have to pay a police officer or animal warden anything like that. There will never be a transaction of money.” She further clarified that genuine officers will identify themselves appropriately, mentioning their association with the Roanoke Police Department, and inform the pet owner that their lost animal has been located.
Cline emphasized that the protocol involves the animal warden transporting the found pet directly to the owner’s home or arranging a collection at the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection.
Below is the comprehensive warning released on the Roanoke City Police Department’s Facebook page:
SCAM ALERT: Roanoke Police have been made aware of a scam in our area involving individuals who have lost animals getting phone calls from someone impersonating a Roanoke Police Officer or Animal Warden.
The caller advises that they have found your animal and you owe them a certain amount of money to reclaim your pet. The calls come from a blocked phone number, and the caller requests that you meet them in a location that is not the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection (RCACP) to retrieve your animal.
Roanoke Animal Wardens WILL NEVER ask for money in exchange for the return of your pet. They will also always identify themselves and send you to the RCACP to retrieve your lost pet, or bring the animal back to your residence. We will never meet you anywhere other than the RCACP or your home to return your pet.
If you receive a phone call that sounds like this, please hang up and call the non-emergency dispatch number, (540) 853-2411, to verify if it was a call from the RPD Animal Wardens. If you have already received a phone call that sounds like this, please call us at (540) 853-2212 or stop by the police department to speak with officers about this situation.
