Grovetown woman falls victim to puppy scam

A 59-year-old Grovetown woman was robbed of more than $600 while trying to buy a dog through Facebook Messenger.

On Monday, deputies with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a woman’s home for reports of fraudulent activity.

The woman told officers she paid a $250 deposit through Zelle for a Cane Corso puppy she was supposed to pick up earlier that day, according to the incident report. She had been communicating with the scammer since October 22.

On Sunday, the scammer told the woman she needed to send another $200 for a veterinary checkup, so she went to a local CVS, bought a $200 Apple gift card and sent them photos of the card, according to the report.

On Monday, the scammer told her she needed to pay $125 for a medical exam and stool test before the puppy could be released to a new owner, according to the report. The scammer requested another gift card and she complied. A few hours later, the scammer asked for another $50 to purchase supplies to transport the puppies, and she sent an additional Apple gift card in the amount requested on the way to pick up the puppy.

According to the report, when the woman arrived at the scammer’s specified location in Charlotte, North Carolina, the homeowner did not know why she was there.