Fraudsters are targeting desperate pet owners by trawling lost pet forums and demanding ransom payments for the safe return of their animals, a BBC North West investigation has found.
One victim, Linda Tonge, 65, from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, received a call from a man claiming to have found her 12-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Lulu. He demanded £2,000, later reducing it to £1,000, and threatened she would never see her dog again if she contacted the police. Lulu was later found safe in thick brambles after an extensive search.
Emma Taylor, 40, from Wigan, was contacted after posting an appeal for her missing cat, Ziggy. A man demanded £500, becoming aggressive when she said she did not have the money, and later another caller asked for £1,000. Cumbria Police are leading a nationwide investigation, Operation Facade, which has identified more than 200 victims across the UK.
Last year, Brandon Woolveridge, 24, from Barrow-in-Furness, was jailed for 44 months after being convicted of nine counts of blackmail and one of theft. In recorded calls, he threatened to shoot a victim's dog if they did not pay £1,000. Det Insp Amanda Sykes, leading the operation, said she was 'absolutely horrified' by the offending.
