How I fell victim to a puppy scam

After months of pestering, I’d finally relented to my eight-year-old daughter — we could get a puppy. Key points:Puppy scammers stole $28,000 in WA in June alonePeople are waiting up to two years to get a pup, with COVID-19 thought to be fuelling demandStamping out unethical puppy farms means a drop in puppy supplyBut the local pet shop had none, Gumtree listed mostly wanted puppy posts, and the local dog rescue had a 220-strong waiting list.So we ventured online, found the cutest Pomeranian you can imagine and ordered and paid for her via bank transfer. The kids texted photos to all their friends, we bragged, we swooned, we imagined a future of fluffy cuddles and doggy dates at the park.Then a sense of doubt crept in. She’d be shipped directly to our door. Really? Later came a demand for more money — $3,700 for transport insurance. Finally the reality hit hard. We’d been scammed for $1,800. There would be no adorable puppy.Not to worry, I assured my teary kids, we’ll contact a registered breeder.A search for Pomeranian breeders revealed price tags of $3,500 to $6,000. And there were few available. We weren’t keen to spend that kind of money. And we didn’t really care about purebred status. So the
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