How to Spot a Drone Services Scam!

Above is an example of a fake drone service which is preying on lost pet owners. Here are a few tips to help you recognize a scam when you see one.

1. No phone number or address or full names of the company owners. Legitimate drone services will have a phone number that you can reach to talk to a real person. Remember, to help you effectively a drone service is going to have to be close by - preferably within an hour's drive in case they have to come back more than once.

2. AI generated imagery on their Facebook cover photo and profile photo.

3. Stolen images. When you reverse search the images on this page you will see they have been taken from legitimate drone services in other parts of the U.S. These scammers are trying to make you think that the success story was theirs.

4. Asking you immediately for your pet's photo and some up-front money for gas and a deposit. Then they will alter the photo using AI to make it look like they have found your dog and will ask for more money.

5. Using Facebook messenger as their means of communication. This gives the scammer (usually overseas) the ability to pretend they are local to you, when they aren't. They might do a quick google search to give you a place name that is close to you to try to trick you.

6. No legitimate business identifying features . A physical address, a local phone number, a business name that you can look up.

Don't Get Scammed! Please report these pages to Facebook when you see them. That doesn't mean Facebook will take them down - but if they get enough reports they might do something.

AND - legitimate drone operators need to police their own industry! If you know there are drone operators operating in a less than ethical fashion, call them out on it. Report them to the BBB. Keep a list so we can share it. Ask us if we know of a particular drone service that you are considering. Let's work together to help more lost pets get safely home!