A woman from New Bothwell was the victim of an online scam.

On October 28th, St. Pierre RCMP received a complaint from a woman who stated that she was scammed six days earlier. The woman says she found a social media post advertising a puppy from Altona needing a new home due to the owners being unable to give it the quality of life it deserved. The victim contacted the seller via social media and struck up an online conversation in hopes of acquiring the puppy.

Police say over the next few days, photos and videos of a puppy were provided to the victim and an agreement was reached in regard to a price. The victim agreed to provide an e-transfer deposit with the remaining amount owing to be given in person when they met for the exchange.

On the day of the exchange, the victim attended the agreed-upon location of the meeting where she then received a text message stating that the seller's spouse wanted the full payment prior to the exchange which she submitted once again via e-transfer.

Once the full amount was transferred, the victim did not hear back from the seller.

The investigation has found that the seller's profile was recently created, and that this person may have been successful in defrauding two other victims in Winnipeg in the same manner.

Manitoba RCMP say the scammer is not actually from Altona, and believe the fraud originated from B.C.

St. Pierre RCMP continue to investigate.

Manitoba RCMP would like to remind the public that with the Christmas shopping season in full swing, be cautious when making purchases through the various marketplace online platforms. Police say you should only agree to meet in a public space and provide payment upon meeting with the seller so that you have a chance to examine the item prior to payment. If you have been a victim of fraud, please contact police.