A man allegedly used the Rover app to pose as a fake sitter and steal property from an apartment in Vancouver’s Riverwest.
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Vancouver police are still searching for a man suspected of stealing from a Vancouver apartment complex after entering the building posing as a dog sitter.
The suspect was using the Rover app, a popular tool for finding care for pets, and was employed by a resident of the building.
Vancouver Police say the man then used an entry point in the building to enter a secure area of the building and steal property from the Riverwest apartment complex.
The man was seen on security cameras, and police said they were still working to identify him. It also revealed that the victim of the theft was the property management company, not the resident who hired the sitter.
Mr. Rover wrote in a statement:
“The safety of our community is a top priority at Rover. After a pet parent raised concerns about this sitter, our team investigated the incident and suspended the sitter’s account. We will We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement to the extent possible.”
It also states that “480,000 services have been booked through the Rover platform, and more than 98% of reviewed services have a 5-star rating,” which is for the Portland metro area. .
Background checks are also required for all sitters who wish to join the app, and we highly recommend interviewing potential sitters before booking.
I can’t trust anyone these days! 😩 This stand-up citizen is suspected of using a fake Rover account to take care of his dog…
Vancouver Police Department Posted on Tuesday, October 8, 2024
“Even if we meet, it doesn’t guarantee anything,” said dog owner Jillian Hightower, who plans not to use the app for now. Animals…especially when your animal is at home in it, what if he was doing something else to hurt the animal? ”
Lauren Ramos is a dog owner and dog sitter who hasn’t found any clients through Rover.
“I’d rather hang out with someone I know 100%. Even on platforms that do background checks, things like this can happen. I’d rather hang out with someone I know 100%.” “I want to get to know the person and verify it myself,” she said. “So if you’re comfortable using Rover and you’ve had a good experience, that’s fine. But I’ve built a small customer base who wants a guarantee from person to person. I know there’s a group of people out there.”
Other dog owners, like Tonya Hawks, said they just downloaded the app.
“Someone told me about the Rover app,” Hawks said. So she’s not there alone all day. ”
But now she’s a little more skeptical.
“I want to know that if I leave my dog, will it be safe and that they will treat it the same way they would treat me,” Hawks said. “It’s scary because you don’t want to leave them with anyone. It’s like your own child.”
Vancouver police are asking anyone who knows the man’s identity to contact Officer Drynan at stuart.drynan@cityofvancouver.us and reference incident number 24-20466.