Shirebrook pet-lover desperate for news of missing cat targeted by sick scammers

A cat lover says she has been left ‘heartbroken and crushed’ after being targeted by scammers over her missing pet.
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Sherralee Burney, aged 55, – who is desperate for news of missing Milo – said scammers pretended to be vets in a convincing phone call to secure her personal information and card details.

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Posters and videos have been shared online, with Shirebrook shops displaying posters appealing for information and encouraging residents to keep an eye out for the ‘friendly and adventurous community cat’.

Milo is described as 'such a loving and caring cat' by his owner, Sherralee.Milo is described as 'such a loving and caring cat' by his owner, Sherralee.
Milo is described as 'such a loving and caring cat' by his owner, Sherralee.

Sherralee, who has health problems and is housebound, spends her days searching for sightings on social media and awaiting calls for possible leads.

And she said she was ‘gutted’ by the scam call, as it made her sick to her stomach to think someone could be so cruel and exploit a person in such a fragile state.

She said: “I never thought I would fall for a scam like this, but I am very vulnerable at the moment.

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“The scammers must have found details like Milo’s microchip number from websites. They said he had been checked over and even knew my address.

“They said he was doing fine. I was in tears of elation. They said they were not going to charge for any vet checks, just a £5 administration fee.

“They even offered to have him dropped off at my home for an extra £5. I gave them my card details, I was not thinking about the money, but my baby boy. I just wanted him home."

Sherralee called fraud prevention and cancelled her cards after fraudsters attempted to steal £1,000 from her.

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She said: “I encourage anyone in the same situation to be vigilant. If you get a call like this, hang up and ring the vets directly.

“I was caught off guard, but luckily have resolved the issue with the fraud team.”

“I did not care about the money, all I could think about was Milo. I was very low after I realised.”

Milo has a Facebook group with more 300 followers across the community – residents share updates on his adventures and post pictures of Milo in his favourite spots.

Sherralee said: “If anyone has Milo or knows where he is, please let him come home.”

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