The King County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning on Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, alerting people about a ‘Puppy Scam’ like one that a White Center resident recently fell for:

Warning: The puppy scam is back online.

“On 7/28/2020 the victim who lives in White Center reported she had attempted to buy a puppy from masterpomskypuppies.com. The victim contacted a male who went by the name of “John” and he claimed he worked for the website and would sell her a pomsky for $600.00. The victim agreed to that price and stated she would send the money through a Money Gram.

“A few days after paying the $600.00, the suspect told the victim she would have to pay a “COVID insurance fee” making the total cost go up to $3,500.00. The victim agreed to the price and paid the company the rest of the money.

“The victim stated “John” continued to call her seeking additional fees and costs. When the victim sought a refund, it was refused. The victim lost $4100.

“We strongly encourage everyone not to buy animals on-line this way without doing research on the reputation of the seller or breeder.”