Turn to 10/11: R.u.F.F. Rescue Facebook page hacked, being used to scam dog lovers

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A Lincoln based dog rescue is fighting to get its Facebook page back after hackers took it over earlier in the week.

Faith Jones, president of R.u.F.F. Rescue, said the hackers are putting her rescue’s reputation and the community at risk.

“We work with these dogs, we claim them as our own, our rescuers claim them as their own,” Jones said. “So when you have a stranger come in and try and take from you, keep taking from you.”

That’s what’s happening now. The R.u.F.F. Rescue Facebook page is now out of her control and the hackers are using it to post fake puppies and scam potential adopters in sharing personal information in applications and giving hundreds of dollars in deposits on puppies. They’ve posted pictures of a French Bulldog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Golden Retriever.

“When you see these photos, these are fake dogs,” Jones said. “Do not buy into their poor, sad story; they are fake dogs.”

The fake puppy posts have been shared dozens of times each and Jones said she has heard reports of people putting down deposits and losing money.

Carrisa Smith, who alerted 10/11 to this situation, was almost one of them. Smith said she saw the post of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and even though it looked a little fishy, she checked it out.

“I reached out to say ‘hey do you mind if we set up a time to meet this Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’ and the response I got was an immediate red flag,” Smith said.

In the conversation, the scammer asked her to follow procedures laid out in the post which included clicking a link, filling out an application and paying a $200 “deposit” to see the dog. When Smith said she wouldn’t pay money just to see the dog, they asked her not to contact them again.

“This makes my blood boil,” Smith said. “Who is out there trying to take advantage of a rescue who is out there to save and rehome animals?”

Now Jones is working to get the Facebook page back under her control. She’s reported it to Facebook and 10/11 has reached out to Facebook as well. At this point there hasn’t been a response or any headway made. Jones is hoping sharing this situation will help protect her reputation and prevent anybody else from falling for the scam.

“That is one thing I can’t repeat enough,” Jones said. “Reputable rescues will not ask you to send money up front.”

If you’re looking to adopt a pet from R.u.F.F. Rescue, they’re posting them to rescueme.org and petfinder.com.

If you’ve been the victim of a scam or have another consumer concern, email turnto1011@1011now.com.

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