Owners of lost pets are being told to watch out for scammers after Guelph police received a second report of attempted extortion in the past week.

Police said on Thursday, a Guelph man reported he had lost his cat and posted online in an attempt to find it. He was contacted by someone who claimed they had found the cat and would return it for $300.

The man sent $50 and received an AI-generated photo of the cat and further demand for payment. He declined and called police.

This was the second similar report in recent days, police said, but it is not known if they are related.

Guelph police said there have been similar incidents recently, as a Brantford woman was contacted about her missing dog and sent $100 before contacting police when the person asked for more money. The lost dog was

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