The couple said scammers took pictures of a lost dog posted online and sent them an AI-generated photo of the dog on an operating table.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A couple in St. Petersburg is scammed out of nearly two thousand dollars in bogus vet bills.

They say they fell for it because the scammers took pictures of a lost dog posted online and sent the couple an AI-generated photo of the dog on an operating table.

A tiny gap in a backyard fence was all German Shepherd puppy Hazel needed to send dog trainers Michelle and Dennis Morida into a frantic search last week.

“She squeezed just enough,” Dennis said. “She slipped right through, and then we looked on the cameras, and she went through the neighbor’s yard, but then it didn’t matter. By that time, we couldn’t find her.”

They posted pictures of Hazel on Facebook and NextDoor seeking help. Later that night, they got a call from someone claiming to be St. Pete Police, saying a car hit Hazel and she was in the hospital, needing surgery.

“They had a location for the incident where she supposedly got hit, which was very close to here,” he adds.

Then the man sent the couple a picture showing what they thought was Hazel, in a vet’s office, with a woman in scrubs behind her. In their desperation, they thought it was her and sent $1,900 through the banking app, Zelle.

“It all sounded legit and I was like, ‘Can we come see her?’” Michelle said, adding the person questioned if they were abusing the puppy, putting them on the defensive and distracting them from being skeptical. “’Can we come?’ and they’re like, ‘Yeah, 9:30 in the morning.’”

But, as fate would have it, when they went to get her the next day, Hazel was back, sitting in their golf cart. That’s when they knew they were scammed.

“I was beating myself up: ‘How did I do this?’ I’m a professional, you know?” Dennis said.

Now they hope others learn from their mistake, considering the scammers weren’t caught and are now using AI photos to dupe people in distress.

“It kept beating me up,” he adds. “I believe everything happens for a reason, and this could be the reason right here.”

Area pet hospitals told 10 Tampa Bay News they will never ask you for emergency payment over the phone.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies are among the top reported. In 2023, reported losses to the scams topped $1.1 billion.