Lanarkshire police have issued a stark warning after an increase in online puppy advertising scams.
Trading Standards have recently been made aware of reports of fraudulent adverts for puppies on online marketplaces across Scotland.
In one case, a woman saw an advert for a Jack Russell puppy costing £1000 on Gumtree. She contacted the seller and paid a £100 deposit, arranging a collection date for mid-April.
A couple of weeks later, the seller asked for the rest of the money - £900 - to cover the expenses of keeping the puppy as he was struggling with the cost of living.
At this stage, the woman felt suspicious that the seller may be a scammer and asked them to return her deposit. The seller did not reply and cut off all contact with the woman.
A few days later she saw an advert for the same puppy on Gumtree, now for the price of £650. The advert has now been taken down and the seller is being investigated.
Trading Standards are warning potential buyers to be extra vigilant and have issued some helpful tips to detect online scammers:
• You can never do too much research before buying a new pet. Illegal dealers may use the same description and photo on more than one advert - try entering the text of the description and photo in a search engine to see if they have been used on any other puppy adverts
• Research the seller - is their phone number or email address linked to different profiles? Are they advertising several different breeds of dog? Are they reluctant to answer questions about the puppies' mother or provide paperwork?
• Don't buy a puppy without seeing paperwork and certificates for vaccinations, microchipping and worming
• Insist on seeing the puppy with its mother in the home in which it was raised - be suspicious if the seller wants to meet in a car park or public space
• Don't pay a deposit without seeing the dog in person - be suspicious if the seller tries to rush you into handing over cash.
Find out more by visiting the Scottish SPCA Say No To Puppy Dealers website and Trading Standards Scotland page.
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