Criminals target desperate owners. Know the signs, stay safe, and never pay anyone claiming to be from Drone SAR.
Criminals monitor lost dog posts on Facebook, community groups and other platforms. They act fast, posing as helpful volunteers to exploit owners at their most vulnerable.
A scammer will contact you via WhatsApp, often impersonating a Drone SAR admin, volunteer, or founder. They will claim to have spotted your dog or offer to send out a thermal drone immediately.
They will ask for an upfront fee — sometimes described as a "deployment fee", or "equipment charge" — before they will help. The amounts vary but the request for payment is always the giveaway.
Scammers exploit the panic of a missing dog. They create urgency — "your dog has been spotted, I can be there in 20 minutes, but I need payment first" — to rush you into paying before you stop to think.
Scammers may copy real profile photos, use similar names, or claim to be "Graham from Drone SAR" or another named member of our team. They may even send fake screenshots of previous "successful" searches.
By posting your phone number publicly in a lost dog post, you make yourself an easy target. Scammers scan these posts specifically looking for contact details. Always submit your number privately through our secure form.
Once you've paid once, scammers may continue to contact you asking for more — claiming the drone needs to "extend its search area" or that additional flights are needed. They will keep going as long as you engage.
These rules could save you from losing money at the worst possible time.
Our service is completely free. Any request for payment — regardless of how it is described or who it appears to come from — is a scam. Donations can be accepted by our team for fuel or here via our website.
We will never contact you via WhatsApp. If you receive a message from someone claiming to be Drone SAR through WhatsApp, it is a scam — block and report them immediately.
Do not include your phone number in public Facebook posts, community group posts or any other public listing. Always submit it privately through our secure report form at this website.
Legitimate search and rescue volunteers never ask for bank transfers. If asked to transfer money to a personal account as a "deposit", stop immediately — it is fraud.
Scammers may send links to fake versions of our website or fake payment portals. Always navigate directly to our website by typing the address yourself.
Do not share your address, bank details, or card details with anyone contacting you privately about your dog — even if they claim to have found them.
If someone is pressuring you to pay quickly — "the drone is ready but I need payment now" — that urgency is manufactured. Stop, call a trusted person, and verify before doing anything.
Drone SAR for Lost Dogs UK is a volunteer-run organisation that uses thermal imaging drones to help locate missing dogs across the UK. We are funded entirely by donations from the public.
We will never charge dog owners for a search. Not a deployment fee, not equipment hire — nothing. Our service has always been free and always will be.
Genuine contact from our team will always come through our official website, our verified Facebook group, or our listed phone number — never via WhatsApp from an unknown number.
Support Us With a Donation ❤These criminals are sophisticated and they prey on people in distress. If it has happened to you, please act quickly.
If you made a payment, call your bank's fraud line straight away. They may be able to stop or reverse the transaction. Most banks have 24/7 fraud lines.
Report online at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. Every report helps build a picture and can lead to prosecutions.
Post a warning in your local Facebook groups and tag Drone SAR. Sharing your experience could protect another desperate dog owner from the same scam.
Report the WhatsApp number, Facebook profile or other account to the platform directly. This helps get scam accounts removed before they target more people.