Content Warning: This post discusses animal exploitation. While we avoid graphic descriptions or imagery, the topic involves animals being deliberately placed in distress. The full SMACC report contains disturbing imagery.
We all love seeing animals being rescued. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a scared or injured animal receive help and care. Unfortunately, scammers have caught on to our emotional response to rescue content. According to a disturbing new report from the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), fake rescue scams are proliferating across social media platforms.
In these scams, content creators deliberately place animals in dangerous or distressing situations just so they can film themselves “rescuing” them. The animals face real harm and trauma, all to generate views and often to solicit donations that never go toward actual animal welfare.
How to Spot a Fake Rescue
The SMACC report outlines several key warning signs that a rescue video may be staged:
- The filming setup appears too perfect, with multiple camera angles and professional editing for what should be an unexpected rescue.
- The “rescuer” delays helping the animal to capture more dramatic footage of their distress.
- The same person keeps “finding” animals in suspiciously similar situations.
- The account posts constant rescue content but provides no follow-up about the animals’ care or recovery.
- The situations seem implausible – like finding multiple animals trapped in exactly the same way.
The Money Trail
Many fake rescue accounts include donation links, often to personal payment services rather than registered charities. While wanting to help rescued animals is admirable, sending money to these accounts only funds further animal exploitation. Any legitimate rescue organization will have verifiable credentials and transparent information about how donations are used.
What You Can Do
The most effective way to fight fake rescue content is to starve it of attention. The SMACC report recommends:
- Never watch, like, comment on, or share suspected fake rescue videos – even negative engagement helps spread them. (We previously discussed this in our post about The Engagement Trap.)
- Report suspicious rescue content directly to the platform.
- Only donate to verified animal welfare organizations with proper registration and oversight.
- Check an account’s full history and credentials before engaging with their content.
Supporting Real Animal Rescue
This scam hurts not just individual animals, but legitimate rescue organizations that depend on social media to raise awareness and funds. We can support real animal welfare work by:
- Following and amplifying established animal welfare organizations
- Researching any organization before donating
- Reporting suspicious content to help platforms identify fake rescues
- Learning to recognize the warning signs of staged content
The rise of fake rescue content is disturbing, but being an informed social media user gives you the power to help stop it. By understanding how these scams work and refusing to engage with suspicious content, we can help protect both animals and well-meaning donors from exploitation.
For more detailed guidance on identifying and reporting fake rescue content, visit SMACC’s website at www.smaccoalition.com.
THE INTERNET IS SCARY 