Social media users in Donegal are being urged to beware of a scam post that is appearing in local community group pages.
The “lost injured dog” hoax has arisen in recent months in local Facebook Buy and Sell group pages.
The post appears to show a photo of a dog injured after being hit by a car. The person will say that they found the dog at the side of a road and took the dog to a vet for treatment. They will ask people to share an appeal to find the owner.
One appeal in a Facebook group for the Annagry, Kincasslagh and surrounding area was shared almost 250 times on Tuesday.
The story has been proven to be fake, and hours after it went viral, the social media user changed the entire content of the post to promote a ‘cashback’ survey website.
Donegal Daily recorded a similar post about an injured dog circulating in the Bridgend, Burnfoot, Burt & Muff buy and sell group in November 2022.
The ‘bait-and-switch’ scam posts have become a common occurrence around the world. Some feature a lost pet, others a missing child or older person, and they often prey on people who may be emotionally motivated to share content to help others.
The Better Business Bureau has helpful advice to avoid being scammed by this type of bait-and-switch Facebook ad: https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/27865-bbb-scam-alert-facebook-scams-in-local-buy-and-sell-groups-are-on-the-rise
