Norfolk County woman out $1,500 in puppy scam: police

A Norfolk County woman is $1,500 poorer after spending that money on a puppy that never showed up, Ontario Provincial Police say.

According to investigators, a resident reached out on Sunday morning to report a fraud.

Police say the woman had found an online ad for a French mastiff puppy that was on sale.

The woman reached out to the poster, who said they were in North Bay, Ont. The woman then sent the poster $500 as a deposit, and another $1,500 after the dog was supposedly shipped out via plane to the Hamilton International Airport.

"The unsuspecting buyer then called the airport however the animal never arrived," a police news release reads.

Investigators are warning residents to be "extremely vigilant" when buying things online.

"Some scam artists use stolen photos in their ads, claiming they are pictures of animals for sale," the news release reads.