KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
January 28, 2025
By Natalie Cook Clark
A Katy family is trying to find their cat when someone claiming they had him started extorting them for money. Unfortunately, this scam is all too common and in this case the scammer even had videos and pictures of a similar looking cat. Flash remains missing.
When Marie Noca lost her cat, Flash on January 22, 2025 she quickly got signs out and went to social media to report him gone in hopes that people could help. Unfortunately a scammer answered and Flash remains missing.
Have You Seen Flash?
“We love him so much and just hope he is warm and safe,” says Marie Noca, who lives in the Cinco Ranch Northlake Village community.
The next day, the Noca family received a response on the sites Pawboost and Nextdoor. The individual who went by the name “Mila Biswas” gave the Nocas a phone number to call of a neighbor who she claimed had Flash.
“We spoke for a bit, he sent us a picture and video that looked similar to our cat,” says Noca. “We suggested meeting at our local vet but the person insisted they wanted to meet a CVS due to gas.”
They went to meet up but then the person started asking for cash and insisted that they buy an Apple Card and wanted a picture of the card number before meeting up.
“We were already going to offer some cash as a thank you,” says Noca, but the way the individual was acting seemed off.
“We did go to the Animal Hospital of Katy because that was the vet we asked the scammer to drop the cat off at,” says Noca. “He said that he’d be driving a blue Kia and we saw one drive towards there so we hoped that even if he was extorting us, he might have dropped the cat off there to be safe and reduce any possible criminal charges that would come w extortion.”
Flash was never dropped off to the vet and after talking to the police, the Nocas believe that this was a long-distance scam and unfortunately it was that does happen.
A Lost Pet Scam
In the common “Lost Pet Scam,” scammers look for posts on missing pets that are relatively easy to recreate, like Flash being a fully black cat. The scammers will send convincing pictures and videos to the family, who are already devastated over their pet being missing.
Then they will ask for payment in forms like Apple Card prior to meeting up with the pet. Authorities say that these scammers can even claim to be from shelters and rescue groups.
Always ask for further proof—request a photo or video that really shows that it is your pet. Scammers will often refuse or send generic images.
Never wire money or provide personal information without confirming that the person truly has your pet.
If you suspect a scam, cease communication and report the interaction to local authorities or animal control.
If claiming to be a shelter, confirm the legitimacy of the group by looking them up online. Call the group and confirm if the individual you’re talking to works there.
No organization will ever ask for payment upfront to get your pet back.
The Nocas did report this to Harris County Sheriff’s Office who confirmed that these scams take place, but since the Nocas didn’t buy the Apple Card or give money to the scammers no crime occurred.
Katy families should always be cautious of potential scams and never give money to someone without verifying the situation. The phone number involved in this scam was 480-676-0517.
“Flash is still missing and we miss him!” says Noca.
Flash is a fully black Bombay cat. He is a medium sized, neutered male who is microchipped. He was last seen on north Lake Village Drive and he is not wearing a collar. If you find him please call 978-530-9794 or HomeAgain Pet Recovery 1-888-466-3242. You can also take him to the nearest veterinarian office.
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