Manitoba RCMP investigating online puppy fraud

Manitoba RCMP is investigating after a woman from New Bothwell said she became a victim of a puppy fraud scheme.
Officers with the St-Pierre-Jolys detachment received a complaint from a resident on Oct. 28. She said on Oct. 22, she found a social media post advertising a puppy. The post said the puppy was in Altona and needed a new home due to the owners being unable to give it the quality of life it deserved. The woman contacted the seller and started a conversation online in hopes of getting the puppy.
RCMP said the victim received photos and a video of the puppy and she reached an agreement with the seller for the price of the puppy. The victim agreed to provide an e-transfer deposit, with the remaining money owed to be given in person when they met for the exchange.
On the day of the exchange, the victim arrived at an agreed upon location and then received a text saying the seller’s spouse wanted the full payment before the exchange, which the victim sent 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,” RCMP said in a release.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
RCMP says people should be cautious and aware of the risk of fraud, and should only agree to meet in a public place when making purchases through online marketplaces. Buyers should also provide payment only upon meeting with the seller so you have a chance to examine the item before money changes hands.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, with $46B in new funding over the next decade
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.

'Risky' for Ottawa to take strings-attached approach to health-care negotiations: Jean Charest
As negotiations continue between premiers and the federal government, former Quebec premier Jean Charest is criticizing the feds' string-attached approach to health-care funding, stating that Ottawa should not be in the business of operating health-care systems.
A sensor you draw with a pencil could be used for 'smart diapers,' contactless switches and respiratory monitors
We may soon be able to detect humidity levels, respiratory changes or a too-wet diaper, all with a new type of sensor — one created by drawing with a pencil on specially-treated paper.
Inflation 'turning the corner' after multiple rate increases: BoC governor
After raising interest rates eight consecutive times, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem told an audience in Quebec City on Tuesday that inflation is showing signs of 'turning the corner' and that the coming year 'will be different.'
LIVE @ 9 ET | Biden aims to deliver reassurance in State of Union address
U.S. President Joe Biden is ready to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation's condition rather than roll out flashy policy proposals as he delivers his second State of the Union address on Tuesday night, seeking to overcome pessimism in the country and concerns about his own leadership.
How more than 100 women realized they may have dated, been deceived by the same man
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
Balloons and drones among 768 Canadian UFO reports from 2022: researcher
Balloons and drones were among 768 reported UFO sightings in Canada last year, according to Winnipeg-based researcher Chris Rutkowski, who also found that eight per cent of all cases remained unexplained.
Newborn, toddler saved from rubble in quake-hit Syrian town
Residents digging through a collapsed building in a northwest Syrian town discovered a crying infant whose mother appears to have given birth to her while buried underneath the rubble from this week's devastating earthquake, relatives and a doctor said Tuesday.
Canadians now expect to need $1.7M in order to retire: BMO survey
Canadians now believe they need $1.7 million in savings in order to retire, a 20 per cent increase from 2020, according to a new BMO survey. The eye-watering figure is the largest sum since BMO first started surveying Canadians about their retirement expectations 13 years ago.