Victorian woman charged for alleged $31,000 French bulldog puppy scam

A woman is accused of tricking people into putting large deposits down on French bulldog puppies before going dark online.

A Victorian woman is set to face court after allegedly swindling $31,000 from victims by advertising and selling puppies online before ghosting the prospective buyers.

Victoria Police allege the 42-year-old, from Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula, duped five people by asking them to make large deposits to secure French bulldogs she was offering.

Police will allege in court the five buyers – from across the country – lost more than $31,000 collectively.

“Each victim reported they had lost between $1,800 to more than $18,200 as a result of the alleged scam, which occurred between January 2020 to April 2020,” Victoria Police said in a statement.

The woman allegedly did not follow through on her advertised sales of French bulldog puppies.

The woman allegedly asked the buyers for veterinary and transport costs before ceasing all contact and not providing the puppies or their money back.

She was charged on Thursday with five counts of obtaining property by deception.

The woman has been granted bail to appear before Dromana Magistrates’ Court on February 3, 2022.

Victoria Police have issued a warning about online scams. Picture: AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy

Detective Acting Sergeant Catherine Weeks, from the Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit, said online crime had no borders and police would be watching the space closely.

“We appreciate that during difficult times, people may look for a furry friend to get them through lockdown and the current environment has allowed opportunistic thieves to take advantage of people and their families,” she said.

“We encourage you, where possible, to delay any purchases until you can see the dog in person.”