A family in Hebburn, South Tyneside, was targeted by a scammer who sent suspected AI-generated pictures of their missing dog. Shelly Wilson, 45, was devastated when her two-year-old Chow Chow, Chan, disappeared from her daughter Kendal Reay's garden earlier this month. The dog was returned a week later.
Scammer Contacted Family After Social Media Appeal
After sharing an image of Chan on social media, the family was contacted four days later by a man claiming to have found him. The man sent them what appeared to be AI images of Chan in a work van and in a bedroom. He asked for £25 to be transferred to him for petrol so he could drop Chan off at their home.
Shelly and Kendal, 25, became suspicious of the pictures but agreed to send him £10 in case he was telling the truth. However, he never arrived with Chan, and the family reported the scam to the police.
Family's Hope Dashed Again
Kendal said: "It was like the dog had gone missing all over again. The hope was gone. It felt like he was never coming home. It was absolutely heartwrenching." Shelly added: "I think it's absolutely disgusting. I didn't take much notice of the photo. I knew it was my dog as soon as I saw him. I was just so grateful that someone had found him. I didn't think somebody would be this twisted to do something like this."
Fortunately, Chan returned home around a week after going missing. He was dropped off in Shelly's garden at 3.28am, and her husband discovered he was there when he got up for work.
Chan's Return and Ongoing Vigilance
Kendal, who is studying primary education, said: "We have no idea who dropped him off. We can see a van in the CCTV but we haven't looked into it too much. We will never know where he's been. We just feel grateful that he's back."
The family is now urging others to be vigilant if they find themselves in a similar position. Kendal said: "It's scary to think that someone can do something like this. It's a lot of effort to go to for £10. It makes you think can you trust anyone these days?" Shelly added: "£10 to some people can be a lot of money. I do think someone has definitely had him as he wasn't dirty and he wasn't muddy. He's still in really good condition. I'm so relieved he's back." Northumbria Police say they are aware of the report and no arrests have been made.
