Sasha's Pet Resort Highlights Growing Scams Targeting Doggy Daycares and Small Businesses
Sasha's Pet Resort
REDMOND, WA—March 5, 2026—Sasha’s Pet Resort, a well-established name in the Pacific Northwest’s pet care industry (www.sashaspr.com), announced today as a public service that their firm was targeted this past week by sophisticated spammers whose standard operating procedures rely on both human greed and desire to attract new customers.
“An ad was posted on NextDoor seeking places to board dogs in Redmond, Kirkland and Bellevue. I suggested Sasha’s Pet Resort, of course,” said Dan McFadden, founder/owner of Sasha’s Pet Resort in Redmond, Washington. “So that evening I received a text message from a ‘DorAthy’. My first red flag should have been the fact she/he/it didn’t know how to correctly spell her first name! Second red flag was the fact this was sent at 10 pm PST. Likely sent from Kumquat, Nigeria or Scamcity, India during office hours.”
This was DorAthy’s message:My name is DorAthy, and I am writing to inquire about your availability for caregiving and pet sitting services. My husband, Gary, and I are currently moving from Merritt Island because he was recently promoted and transferred for work to Redmond, WA, US, 98052 area. We are easy-going, kind people who love to laugh, and we are looking for someone to help provide care and look after our dog.
Please let me know if you would be interested in discussing this further. I look forward to hearing from you and do let me have your contact information to text directly. That would be better because I recently just had vocal cord paralysis surgery.
Best regards,
Sent by ~ Dorathy Marie Cockerham | Procurement Head
Note her close indicating that text is best means of communication because she recently had “vocal cord paralysis surgery.” How convenient. Everything can now be coordinated via text.
After Sasha’s owner agreed to board Chunk (who names a 17 -pound dog Chunk?) Sasha’s received a final email from Dorathy:
“Please actually I don’t have the vaccines shots here with me right now because we are in the middle of relocating and please I’ll get all for you later on okay “our dog Chunk will be arriving to the city before us and won’t be available for a meet and greet but I promise you that his a very calm dog and he’s just a puppy, you know puppy just likes to play lol and we would need you to watch him and if you can walk and board him and feed him for just a week before we arrive I will like to know your price for that week, he will be arriving by 25th till on the 2nd March. Just let me know your costs? What will be your total cost for that week?”
$363 including tax she was told.
Another late evening text from her:“Let me know if you got this email. I attached the E.T.A. too and the check payment you will just make a mobile check deposit In case you are not familiar with a mobile check deposit.
1. Print out both the front and back of the check on a regular paper. Write your name and Endorse at the back of the check.
2. Login to your Bank Mobile app.
3. Click on deposit check.
4. Take a picture of the front and back of the check making sure all edges of the check appear in the picture.
5. Submit.
You will receive a confirmation email or a page showing the deposit. Thanks so much Dan.”
That night Sasha’s owner, Dan, grew suspicious. The mobile check Dorathy told him to deposit was actually for $950, certainly much more than the $363 she was quoted for boarding. She said the extra was for hotels and food. Sasha’s has no hotels and the food was maybe $30. The next morning Perplexity was queried about this scenario. The AI agent indicated the core of this scam is the “overpay” since Dorathy will soon ask for the overpay to be returned via Zelle or Venmo before Sasha’s bank discovers that the check deposited online was a fraud. Mobile deposits are generally not subject to the standard Reg CC next‑day availability rules, so banks can set their own hold schedules in the mobile deposit agreement.
Perplexity’s advice was to discontinue contact with Dorathy and not to open any of their attachments. So that was the ultimate outcome and Sasha’s hasn’t heard from Dorathy ever since and Chunk never arrived.
As a sidenote, one of Sasha’s customers mentioned she had been similarly scammed when selling some bedroom furniture. And appears that the ‘overpay’ is at the core of this scam, which is both evergreen and multi-categorical.
“Beware,” advises McFadden. “There’s always someone out there trying to pick your pocket.
To learn more about these long-distance scams visit: https://store.sashaspr.com/blogs/news/beware-of-doggy-daycare-scams
About Sasha’s Pet Resort
Sasha’s Pet Resort, a well-established name in the Pacific Northwest’s pet care industry, is embarking on an exciting new chapter designed to build resilience and foster growth in an evolving marketplace. Recognizing the shifting landscape of pet ownership and business operations post-pandemic, the company is evolving an ambitious e-commerce platform that promises to bring the latest innovations in pet care directly to industry professionals.
For more information visit www.sashaspr.com or email danm@sashaspr.com