Another day and another scam alert.
South Simcoe Police say residents need to be wary of buying pets online after an Innisfil woman reported a puppy scam.
Police say the woman found an ad for mini Goldendoodle puppies on Facebook Marketplace which led to a website offering pups for sale. The website appeared legitimate, so the woman paid a deposit for a pup. Then, police say the scammer began asking for more money for fees such as registration and the permit for shipping. When requests for more cash kept coming, the woman realized it was a scam.
The buyer did not receive her puppy and lost hundreds of dollars.
The South Simcoe Police Service is offering the following tips:
- Never pay for a pet without seeing it first
- Try to see the pet in person but if not, request a video call
- Google the name of the company/seller and the word 'scam' or 'complaint' to see if there are fraud warnings
- Never pay with Bitcoin, a wire transfer or gift cards because once that money is gone, it's nearly impossible to get back
- Consider adopting pets from your local shelter or a local, reputable breeder
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