Police in southwest England are actively warning people buying puppies online, after a number of fraud cases have left would-be pet owners stunned by hidden costs and extortionate dog insurance premiums.

Briton’s have been using the internet to buy low-priced pets, but after paying the asking price they quickly discover it was only the tip of the iceberg.

Hidden costs are commonly including delivery charges, dog kennel fees, and pet insurance.

Earlier this month a Bristol woman agreed to buy two puppies for £290 following an advert on a Scottish website. The money was transferred to an address in Cameroon, central-west Africa where their head office was,but later that afternoon she received an email asking for £1200 towards pet insurance.

After doing some research, the lady quickly realised this wasn’t good value pet insurance, and contacted police to report a fraud.

Police across England and Wales are appealing for extreme vigilance when buying pets online, particularly from places such as Cameroon.

In a separate incident, a Bristol woman responded to an online advert for a Pomeranian dog for sale for £100. After making contact with the seller, she was asked to pay a further £500 for the dog insurance.

She rang the supplied number for the pet insurance company, but suspicions were raised by their unprofessional attitude. She alerted the police but had already transferred £170 to an address in Cameroon.

Speaking about the offences, PC Stephanie Mitchell said: “This is a classic scam and I would urge people to be suspicious of animals offered for sale from abroad.

It is expensive to transport the animals abroad and be wary of anyone who is not upfront about that.

There is also never any mention of quarantine arrangements which animals are subjected to. The pet passport scheme only operates between European countries and, with or without a pet passport, there are inoculations dogs must have before travel is allowed.”

If you have been a victim of a pet insurance scam, or have any information about the people committing them, please contact your local police. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org – they never ask your name or trace your call.