A DOG left for dead scam which aims to pluck at the heartstrings of its readers is circulating around Worcestershire.

The Facebook scam shares a post with a picture of a dog it says was involved in a hit and run and asks people to 'bump up' or share the post to find the animal's owners.

However, once the post gets to a certain amount of shares and likes, it changes to an advert with a click-through link.

Internationally, these posts circulate on Facebook, but the latest one is pretending to be based in Worcester, and it has been shared across UK and American social media pages. 

The scammers use a randomly sourced image with comments turned off.

The latest post, pretending to be about a dog hurt in Worcester, had racked up over 140 shares and 37 likes and used images of an injured German Shepherd. 

Bromsgrove Advertiser: SCAM: A screenshot of the scam which has been doing rounds across Worcester's Facebook pages. SCAM: A screenshot of the scam which has been doing rounds across Worcester's Facebook pages. (Image: Facebook Screenshot)

The post, published by a public page calling itself Emma W Willard, read: "Hello if anyone is looking for this sweet boy, I found him lying on the side of the road in #Worcester.

"He was hit by a car in a hit-and-run incident.

"I took him to the vet, he is not chipped, and I know someone is looking for him.

"He definitely misses his family.

"I'll continue to take care of him in the meantime.

"Please bump this post to help me find his owner."

The post later became an advert for a 'pet-friendly home' with a link attached. 

Scammers often use similar approaches to try and get as much interaction on the post as possible. The post being shared into private, public, community and individual Facebook groups and profiles will then mean the subsequent advert gains maximum exposure. 

Internationally, the posts follow a similar format, with the text almost identical.

The main change between the posts is the location where the 'dog' was meant to be injured.