Winkler Police are once again warning residents to stay vigilant when buying pets online.

On September 26, after contacting a seller online, a local female was contacted by an individual who provided a British Columbia phone number and an Alabama phone number and requested the victim send a $600 e-transfer to cover the costs associated with shipping the puppy.

Once the funds were transferred, the scammer requested an additional $1000 e-transfer for insurance costs. At this time the victim realized the advertisement was a scam and refused to send any additional money.

Earlier last month, another local resident fell victim to a scam involving an online ad for a puppy.

The victim provided his credit card information to the scammer in order to have the puppy shipped from the Yukon to Winnipeg for $835, however, the puppy was never received.

"With the continued increase of fraudulent online sales or purchases we would just like to remind people to be extra cautious when conducting transactions with persons or organizations that you cannot verify to be legitimate," Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt says. "Unfortunately it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid being a victim of a scam."