Woman taken for $300 in puppy scam

A woman who thought she was buying a puppy online later learned she had been scammed.

According to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report, the woman told deputies on Jan. 13 that she had responded to an online ad for a puppy. The supposed seller asked her to send $300 via Western Union to an address in Duluth, Ga., which she did.

A few days later, she received an email asking for another $675 for shipping and handling. When the woman said she would pick up the dog, the person said she would be arrested for abandoning an animal if she did not pay, the report said.

The supposed seller also had sent the woman text messages from a number later traced to a free text-messaging app. Deputies told the woman not to send any more money and to report the crime to the FBI.

This story was originally published January 18, 2016 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Woman taken for $300 in puppy scam."