Authorities are investigating an artificial intelligence-generated scam targeting families of missing dogs in Deltona, Florida, and Texas, with investigators suspecting the cases may be connected and possibly linked to an overseas operation.
Volusia County, Florida, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the scam in Deltona, where a family received AI-generated images of their missing dog, Archer, on an operating table, mirrors a similar case in Texas from December 2025.
“It’s exactly the same. The doctor, the photo looks the same, the amount of money they’re requesting,” Chitwood said.
In both cases, the alleged scammer called the families, claimed their dogs had been hit by cars, and demanded over $2,000 for surgery. Neither family paid the scammer.
“We were able to locate another case that occurred in Texas last year,” Chitwood said.
The Deltona family, Bill Cosens and his relatives, had posted about their missing dog online, including photos and a phone number.
“We just never, never would have crossed our mind that somebody would be trying to scam us at our lowest point,” Cosens said.
Investigators tracked the phone number used in the Deltona case to a spoofed number linked to a server in India, leading Chitwood to believe the scammer may be operating from overseas.
According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, AI-related cybercrimes are increasing, with the agency receiving over 22,000 complaints involving AI last year. More than 600 of those fell under the “confidence/romance” category, defined as schemes preying on individuals’ “heartstrings.” Victims across the country lost nearly $20 million to these specific scams.
“The bad guys are way ahead of us. Every day, AI gets a little bit better,” Chitwood said.
