Overview
- A Deltona family who posted about their missing dog received AI-made photos of the pet on an operating table and a $2,746 demand sent over Zelle.
- Volusia County deputies say the caller claimed the dog had been hit by a car and needed immediate surgery to pressure the owners to pay.
- Investigators traced the contact to a spoofed phone number tied to a server in India, indicating possible overseas involvement.
- Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the tactics mirror a Texas case from December 2025, including the same doctor image and the same dollar figure.
- The family refused to pay, reported the scheme, and their dog was later found, as the FBI reports rising AI-aided scams with over 22,000 complaints last year and nearly $20 million lost in one category.