Description: Scammers reportedly used an AI-generated or AI-altered image of a missing German Shepherd puppy on an operating table to convince a St. Petersburg, Florida couple that the dog had been hit by a car and needed emergency surgery. The caller allegedly impersonated police and veterinary staff while requesting $1,900 through Zelle. The payment was flagged as fraud, and the dog later returned home unharmed.
Entities
View all entitiesAlleged: Unknown image generator developers developed an AI system deployed by Unknown scammers, which harmed People searching for missing pets , Michelle Morida , Epistemic integrity and Dennis Morida.
Alleged implicated AI system: Unknown image generator technology
Incident Stats
Incident ID
1477
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2026-01-20
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Incident Reports
Reports Timeline
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A couple in St. Petersburg says a scammer preyed on them and their love for animals.
Dennis Morida says he nearly lost $1,900 last Tuesday to the scammer because of an AI-generated picture.
What we know:
He runs a n…
Variants
A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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