THE DISTRAUGHT owners of a missing dog have now been targeted by a scammer who is claiming to be holding their pet to ransom.

Darlington businesswoman Pippa Jeffrey is currently searching for Jack Russell Daisy, who escaped from Ketton Hall Kennels earlier this week.

As part of her search, she posted contact details and information about her missing pet online.

Police have now issued a warning after a scammer claiming to have the dog demanded £300 for her return.

Using a withheld number, a man called Ms Jeffrey and said he had Daisy but would only return her if she transferred the money to him via Western Union.

Ms Jeffrey’s suspicions grew when the caller refused to provide any evidence of having her beloved pet and was unable to confirm the colour of Daisy's collar.

She believes the caller got her contact details and relevant information from social media.

“It’s sick to think someone would do this and it made me feel awful," she added. "My gut instinct was that it was not true but I didn’t really know what to do at first in case they did have Daisy.

“I can’t believe someone would prey on my emotions like this.”

Durham Constabulary fraud officer, Tony Murray, praised Ms Jeffrey for the quick-thinking that allowed her to evade the scammers.

Warning the public to be careful about sharing personal information online, he said: “This is a prime example of how fraudsters use something topical as a way to con people out of money.

“They are preying on the very human emotion of love – people treat their pets as part of the family and would do anything for them.

“It’s common to put posters up and post online when a pet is lost and someone has used this opportunity to take advantage of someone already suffering.

“Many would be tempted to pay it in the hope of getting their dog back.

“Fraudsters are always trawling social media and people need to be aware that they will use any information they find as an opportunity.

“Remember, your phone, tablet or device is an enabler for fraud.

“The message is to be careful with what you post online and if contacted by someone unknown, hang up or take a step back, think and if concerned, report it to the police.

“This person averted the scam by taking a couple of minutes to think about the situation – she dealt with it extremely well.”