Be on guard against 'despicable puppy scam'

Damien Doherty, Trading Standards' Area Inspector issued the warning to consumers thinking about buying a puppy from the internet this Christmas.

The scam first came to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's (DETINI) attention last year.

Mr Doherty said the scam was designed to prey on people's good natures: "This is a scam that came to our attention last Christmas and it is still active this year.

"An online advertisement will offer a puppy free for adoption, accompanied by a photograph of the cute pet.

"After responding to the advert, the buyer is provided with its background story, which normally states that the puppy is from outside Northern Ireland and so the buyer is required to pay its shipping costs.

"However, as soon as payment is sent, usually by money transfer, instead of receiving the puppy in the picture, the buyer will simply receive more stories, accompanied by more requests for money for necessities such as customs duties, vets' fees, inoculations and insurance.

Urging consumers to be on their guard, Mr Doherty said: "This is a despicable scam that preys on the good nature of animal lovers wanting to buy a pet.

"The sad thing is that some hopeful buyers have paid out hundred of pounds before realising they have been hoodwinked into handing over money for a puppy that doesn't exist."

With Christmas approaching, now is a good time for everyone to be aware of these pet scams and to be on the look out for their tell-tale signs: the emails are often written in poor English and there is usually a heart-breaking story behind the reason the puppy is being offered for sale or adoption in the first place.

Consumers should also be on the look out for telephone numbers that begin with 070. These numbers are commonly used by scammers and can be redirected to any number anywhere in the world.