Several people in the Winkler area have fallen victim to yet another scam. In the last month, the Winkler Police Service has received a number of complaints of people trying to buy a dog online, with payment for the purchase to be made via Western Union.
    
Winkler Police Chief Rick Hiebert says in each case, after the initial purchase price was agreed upon and paid, the victims were then told there were additional charges for things like shipping.  He said when the buyers became suspicious, they were then threatened with charges of animal cruelty, or other charges.

Anytime a seller is requesting to be paid through Western Union, Hiebert said that is an immediate red flag and buyers should question the authenticity of the claim right away. He said money sent via Western Union can be picked up anywhere in the world, and the individual not be identified.

In cases like this Hiebert said always do your research and check out references.  "I don't believe these fraudsters are welcoming calls back. So if you're asking them for reference numbers to talk to people they've dealt with in the past that are happy customers, I would be surprised if they would give you phone numbers."  He added if the "sellers" don't want to provide reference phone numbers, that would definitely be cause for suspicion.

Meanwhile, Hiebert says criminals are always looking for new ways and new methods to convince people their scam is legitimate.  

Hiebert said in these recent cases, the victims lost between $400 and $1,000, depending on the kind of animal they were trying to purchase.