In December 2025, an elderly Fresno man received a message claiming his missing service dog, Chewie, had undergone surgery at a specific local veterinary clinic. The scammer sent AI-generated photos of Chewie appearing to recover from a procedure inside that facility, built from images the owner had shared online months earlier when Chewie first went missing. Fortunately the man called the clinic directly before sending any money. The clinic confirmed they had never seen the dog. Not everyone makes that call though.