A determined woman trying to find her missing cat said a man tried to hold the pet for ransom.
“It's heartbreaking, because every phone call is hope,” said pet owner Jan, who only gave her first name.
Police said the man tried to rip off more than one victim for hundreds of dollars.
Jan told Channel 9 about the elaborate steps the man took, trying to convince her he had her cat, Pluto.
Two Volusia County pet owners put up fliers, and went on social media in the hopes that someone would help find their pet, but instead they found a man who tried to harass and scam them.
"Pluto is around 6 years old. We had him for four years," said Jan.
Jan said she has been searching for her cat since late last month. There have been several sightings of Pluto, but they didn't pan out.
But one day, Jan got a suspicious call.
"And it sounded suspicious right away. So I didn't trust him off the bat. It was a phone number out of California, and he played with me that day and I just ignored him," Jan said.
Jan said the man left several messages on her phone, saying, "You want me to take the cat to the animal hospital and like, leave it? My friend is like, ‘Unless you come get it or meet you somewhere.’"
The man also sent her several messages, texting her, saying the cat was locked in the trunk of his car, Jan said.
She said the man also messaged her to “Go get a Paypal and my cash card from CVS. Soon as you get it, call me, and I will break the window and take a picture of him."
The man sent her a photo that he claimed showed Pluto, but she never fell for any of it.
“Oh, he's toying with me. He thinks he is smarter than everybody else, and he's the stupidest one amongst us all," she said.
According to the incident report, an Edgewater woman whose cat is also missing received similar calls and texts. Some were sexual in nature.
Jan said she hopes karma catches up with the man.
"Let’s just say I would like to get him myself,” said Jan.
Authorities said it might be hard to track the man down because he was using an untraceable cellphone.
Cox Media Group
