Owner of missing dog devastated by AI photo scam

In short:

The ACCC says it is aware of a scam targeting people searching for missing pets.

A WA man who offered a significant reward for the return of his Irish wolfhound says his heartbreak worsened when he was sent AI-generated images of the animal.

A cybersecurity professor says it is increasingly easy to personalise scams and that people should be careful about what they share online, even in times of desperation.

When Westyn Ruyter lost his Irish wolfhound, Bundy, he was so shattered he offered a $10,000 reward on Facebook for anyone who would return him.

Soon after, he received messages from someone claiming to have found Bundy and offering to meet at a general store in his hometown of Balingup, 240 kilometres south of Perth.

"It gave me so much hope. I was that excited," Mr Ruyter said.

But he grew suspicious when no-one showed up with the missing dog and asked for further proof.

"They just sent me a photo of him in a crate, and it's obviously AI," Mr Ruyter said.

"The dog bowl looks so fake, the cage is blurred out in front of his face, and it's the exact photo I posted on Facebook of him, and they've just put him in a box … and then they just never replied again."

A spokesperson for the ACCC's National Anti-Scam Centre said the agency was aware that people with missing pets were being targeted.

"Scammers exploit situations that are urgent or emotionally distressing," the spokesperson said.

"Scammers use AI-generated images to 'prove' they have the pet and demand money, gift cards or cryptocurrency in exchange for the pet's return."

The ACCC has published guidelines on how scammers use AI, including via voice cloning, personalised messaging and deepfake imaging.

The centre encourages victims of AI scams to report the incidents.

Scams more personalised

Edith Cowan University Professor of Cyber Security Practice Paul Haskell-Dowland said scammers often searched for sensitive information posted in community groups.

"Scams have been evolving dramatically over the last three to four years with the advent of AI, and with more automated tools that allow scammers to hunt for information, to incorporate it into their campaigns, and to begin to target us at an individual level," he said.

"No longer are the scams seemingly irrelevant to us — they now have genuine feelings of authenticity."

Professor Haskell-Dowland said people could protect themselves by exercising more caution with what they shared online, even in desperate circumstances.

"The use of technology by us to try and solve these particular problems is part of the problem," he said.