Scammers are advertising puppies for sale in newspapers or online, often providing an email address as a contact point.

The puppy being advertised is usually a popular breed. The puppy is supposedly home trained and good with children.

The scammers come up with various explanations about why they are selling the puppy.

Some claim that the dog is in the UK and the owner has gone to work abroad.

Some scammers even hijack people’s profiles on internet auction or sales sites and use the seller’s reputation to lull potential buyers into a false sense of security.

The seller requests that payment be sent by wire transfer to a local or overseas wire transfer agency. The seller then says the dog will be shipped to the purchaser’s address. However the puppy never arrives.

We advise you to be cautious of purchasing animals sight unseen from strangers, especially if they request money be sent via wire transfer.

Resist pressure to act now. If you have any doubts, don't go ahead with the deal.

Please remember that there are legitimate sellers who advertise puppies for sale on websites but you should seek to independently verify their identity. 

Beware of advertisers who only give mobile phone numbers to contact them. Reputable businesses will invariably have landlines as their main contact numbers.