A woman was left heartbroken after she bought a puppy for over $1,000 (£820) but soon realised it was a scam.
Stacey Johnson, from Baltimore, US, had been looking for a pet dog after her daughter left home to attend university.
She had been scanning different websites and came across a Chow Chow which was designed to keep her company at home.
However, by Stacey's own admission, she hadn't done much research on the seller but thought “Chow Chow Glories” was just like any other.
She told WMR: “I’ve had a Chow Chow before, and I’ve been through a breeder before, and I’ve done it online before, so I didn’t think anything of it."
The mum started to become concerned when she saw the images of the dog on other websites.
In addition, when the seller suggested delivering the puppy to her, Stacey became alarmed.
She said: “I said I could actually come and pick the dog up and he said you can, but then he recommended that I would have the puppy delivered because with the puppy delivery, there was going to be all these bells and whistles that would’ve came with the dog.”
The mum was told to transfer $624 (£510) via the app Zelle in order to receive the dog's medical records, health certificate, and registration documents.
She was then duped into paying $1,000 (£820) to help cover an insurance policy which was supposed to be refundable.
After sending the money, Stacey was excited to tell her daughter she was the proud owner of a new dog.
However, she was left devastated when the animal never arrived.
She said: "I had also told her about it and she was so excited that when she comes home this dog was going to be there and then I didn’t get it.
“Next thing you know, I got another email requesting more money and then I was like okay, I’m done."
Angie Barnett, president and CEO with the Better Business Bureau in Maryland, said scammers will often find any excuse to ask for more money.
She said: “This is one of a few scams that also is frequently a twofer, meaning I’ve now paid for a pet that will not be delivered but in addition, the scammer is going to reach out to me and say they’ve been caught up in shipping, they need a special certificate, but they will ask you to pay more money and frequently people do so."
Stacey said she addicted too quickly and next time would have properly researched the seller.
However, it was the dog she desperately wanted.
She added: "I knew that that was the dog that I wanted. My daughter had just went away to college and that was a comfort for me, and then I had also told her about it and she was so excited that when she comes home this dog was going to be there and then I didn’t get it."
