The Office of Fair Trading has issued a warning about buying pets advertised online, after an Island animal lover lost more than four thousand pounds in an internet scam.
The woman responded to an ad for a puppy in need of a new home, and was persuaded to pay the seller by Moneygram and also fund the cost of transportation and vets' bills.
OFT officials say it was a very plausible scam as the woman handed over the cash without having met the dog or the seller.
Advice Centre Manager Andrea Tabb says it was an elaborate hoax which exploited the caring instincts of someone who loved animals:
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