FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control (FWACC) is warning pet owners about a potential scam where someone pretends to be a FWACC employee in search of false payments.

According to FWACC, people who have reported on social media their pet is missing have been contacted saying their pet needs medical attention and they need to make payments so their pet can be treated.

FWACC does not request payments over the phone for medical services, and the shelter cannot treat personally-owned pets for a medical emergency.

Instead, FWACC’s role in those situations is to help transport injured pets to private veterinarians for medical services.

Officials recommended anyone who has a missing pet to file a lost report with FWACC, and the organization also encouraged all pet owners to update their microchips for their pets.

Anyone with questions regarding a lost pet should either visit FWACC’s website or call the shelter at 260-427-1244.