<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When Sarah's cat went missing and she received a message from somebody claiming to have seen her, she was hopeful.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/sydney" rel="" target="" title="Sydney "><span>Sydney</span></a><span> student, 18, who had posted on Facebook and put up posters about her missing pet, was shocked to discover the person was trying to scam her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They had created photos of a cat similar to hers using AI and were demanding money.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/hantavirus-ship-american-diagnosed-on-place/b955cf30-eab7-4a0b-8ed6-f5ab298c78a5"><strong><span>Evacuated cruise passenger tests positive for hantavirus</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If this happened to me it's going to happen to someone else," she told 9News.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Black cat Cinda, who is 16, escaped at Middle Street in Kingsford in Sydney at 9pm on May 5.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The person who contacted Sarah, by email, claimed to have "found her".</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/missing-cat-scam-warning-after-student-searching-for-missing-cat-targeted-by-scammer/04d0d703-c89c-458a-9f0a-509823404b46" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They posted photos that looked like the cat in a car and on a sofa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But when Sarah questioned them further, they said they wanted $200, with some to be paid by Apple gift card.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They were like 'I spent my last buck on her'. They were like, 'Are you going to compensate me?'" she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-isis-brides-bail-application-islamic-state-return-to-australia/ce833ea1-4aee-4d5a-86b6-7713129a5e7b"><strong><span>'ISIS brides' on slavery charges will remain behind bars</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And while like any cat owner Sarah said she'd hand over any amount of money to get her cat back, she started to get suspicious.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said the photos didn't seem to be her cat.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I just knew it wasn't her," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She showed them to her boyfriend who also realised something wasn't right.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The messages were also written with strange grammar.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/geelong-carpenter-allegedly-threatened-to-sack-apprentice-for-taking-sick-leave/03a7b57b-210b-4f09-ba27-a26e90099dcb"><strong><span>Carpenter taken to court for 'threatening to sack' apprentice for taking sick leave</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When Sarah questioned them, they threatened they would "go and sell her".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sarah said she was onto them but went ahead with their demands to meet at a local supermarket.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She went with her mother but nobody turned up.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'd give everything I have for her but we knew it was a scam, " she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the police told her there's nothing they can do, she also reported what happened to Scamwatch.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She's warning other pet owners to beware.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What they're doing is extortion and it's a crime," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I would say question it - don't just rely on your own judgement."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Cinda has green eyes, and one of her eyes has brown discolouration. Underneath the black fur on her neck is sparse white fur.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>9News has contacted </span><a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/?gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23518528207&amp;gbraid=0AAAAArAcbkChKBUoh7SdeZj4eViHGj63e&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw2YDQBhD_ARIsAE1qeSfoQbYc6k0Any6Y5lbKFuWyZi1wBoK9uZ4K7879DeYuwATe1iBqiGoaAq04EALw_wcB" rel="" target="" title="Scamwatch"><span>Scamwatch</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>If you can have seen the cat, contact reporter Sarah Swain on </span></em><a href="mailto:sswain@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title=""><em><strong><span>sswain@nine.com.au</span></strong></em></a><em></em></div></div>