If you’ve spent any time on social media, you probably have come across ads or videos selling merchandise that claims to support a charity or a local cause. Complete with older adults, adorable animals, touching music, and handmade products, these videos are part of a growing social media scam targeting animal lovers and kind-hearted donors.

How the scam works

While scrolling on TikTok or other social media platforms, you see a video showing an older adult asking for help. The video may say something along the lines of, “Please stay for 8 seconds to help my cat shelter from shutting down,” or “Please don’t scroll for 12 seconds to help my failing animal shelter.”

You continue watching the video, which shows cats or other animals in a shelter. The video captions say that the person is st

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