Scammers use AI image of missing cat to demand thousands from Utah woman - KUTV

In June 2026, a Utah woman named Elora Nelson became the target of a sophisticated AI-driven extortion attempt after her cat, Cora, went missing. The scammers exploited her emotional distress by posing as a veterinarian to demand payment for an emergency surgery that never occurred.

What happened

After Nelson’s cat disappeared, she received a message from an unfamiliar number claiming to be a "Dr. Stalling" from a veterinary clinic. The caller alleged that a female cat matching her pet's description had been brought in after being hit by a car and required urgent, life-saving surgery. When Nelson requested proof, the scammers provided an AI-generated image depicting two veterinarians in scrubs operating on a cat connected to surgical equipment.

Following the receipt of the image, the scammer contacted Nelson again to demand a payment of more than $2,700. In her heightened emotional state, Nelson initially considered the request, but she ultimately decided to verify the claim by calling the veterinary office directly. The clinic confirmed that the situation was a scam, stating that they did not perform emergency surgeries and that the same individual had previously defrauded another victim out of $4,000. Nelson, who remains in search of her missing cat, is now warning others to remain skeptical of unsolicited messages and AI-generated imagery, noting that legal safeguards are currently failing to keep pace with the rapid advancement of deceptive technologies.