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Alberta

Police warn of online puppy fraud

Published

7 minute read

Police warn of online puppy fraud

November 24, 2020

The Edmonton Police Service is warning citizens to do their research when looking to adopt a new fluffy friend as online puppy fraud becomes more prominent.

In May of 2020, police received a report from a couple who believed they had lost money to a puppy fraud. After deciding to add a new dog to their family, they reportedly began an online search and responded to an ad that they believed belonged to a legitimate breeder. The couple was soon contacted by the seller to discuss the purchase of a puppy, as well as the cost of shipping. The couple reportedly agreed to the terms and sent an e-transfer to the seller. A day later, the seller allegedly reached out to request several hundred additional dollars for a travel crate and travel vaccinations, claiming they were required prior to shipping. The couple once again agreed to pay. The seller then reportedly reached out a third time to request several thousand additional dollars for pet travel insurance, which they claimed would be refunded when the puppy arrived. Becoming suspicious, the couple reportedly ended communication with the seller and contacted the EPS.

“Unfortunately, this is only one of many reports,” says Acting Detective Dana Gehring with the EPS Cyber Crimes Investigations Unit. “As more citizens add furry friends to their families during the pandemic, fraudsters have found a way to take advantage of them.”

Since October 2019, the Edmonton Police Service has received 17 complaints of online puppy fraud, with individual losses ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. In total, more than $40,000 has been defrauded from citizens over a 13-month period.

While each situation is unique, the frauds seem to follow a similar pattern and often begin with the victim conducting an online search that leads them to fraudulent websites/ads for breeders/suppliers. In most cases the purchase price is largely undervalued, and the fraudster will add additional costs like insurance, vet bills, shipping fees, quarantine housing fees, and more, claiming it must all be paid before the puppy can be sent. Payment is usually sent via e-transfer, though some fraudsters have also asked for payment through Western Union or Bitcoin.

As the holidays approach, investigators anticipate the fraudsters will be ready and waiting and are hopeful this warning will prevent more heartbreaking frauds from taking place.

“These fraudsters frequently try to use the emotion of the situation to their advantage,” says Acting Det. Gehring. “They may claim the puppy is waiting in an airport or shipping facility and will remain there until payment is received, which often tugs at the heartstrings of dog lovers.”

If you are planning to add a new fluffy friend to your home, the EPS advises doing plenty of research to ensure you’re getting a real pet from a trusted organization. When possible, seek out a local organization first.  Edmonton has numerous legitimate organizations and registered charities/incorporated societies who have furry friends waiting for their furever homes.  If you must search outside of the Edmonton area, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Do your research.
    • Research adoption fees and prices for the dog you are considering ahead of time. If the price seems too good to be true, it likely is.
    • Ask for detailed information about the seller such as full name, phone number and mailing address. Search the seller’s name or phone number online along with the word “scam” or “complaint.”
    • Try doing a reverse image search of the website or ad photos. If the same photos show up in older ads, on social media or on other websites, it is likely a scam.
  • Ask questions. Responsible breeders and rescues like to discuss and educate you about the dog or breed. Ask anything you want to know, including breed traits, information about the parents, temperament, the dog’s history or health concerns, etc.
  • Request proof. Ask for proof of health records/screenings and registration with any breed specific organizations (CKC), all of which you can confirm by calling the veterinarian and organization. This information will also be helpful when you bring your dog home.
  • Meet in person. If possible, ask to meet the seller and the dog in person or, at minimum, meet them both via video call. If the seller declines, ask why.
  • Avoid providing payment via e-transfer, Bitcoin or using a money transfer service. Scammers often use these forms of payment because they are like cash; once payment is sent it cannot be retrieved. Use a method of payment that has some form of fraud protection such as a credit card or PayPal.
  • Be patient. If the seller seems anxious to complete the sale, get your deposit or pushes you to make a quick decision, be cautious. Likewise, don’t trust a seller if they claim they must sell the dog quickly, cannot take care of it or threaten harm to the animal. Responsible breeders and rescues seek out the best homes for their dogs and are typically not in a rush.

Have you lost money to online puppy fraud? Do you have information about an ongoing puppy fraud? Contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #311 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.

 

 

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Alberta

Low oil prices could have big consequences for Alberta’s finances

Published on

From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill

Amid the tariff war, the price of West Texas Intermediate oil—a common benchmark—recently dropped below US$60 per barrel. Given every $1 drop in oil prices is an estimated $750 million hit to provincial revenues, if oil prices remain low for long, there could be big implications for Alberta’s budget.

The Smith government already projects a $5.2 billion budget deficit in 2025/26 with continued deficits over the following two years. This year’s deficit is based on oil prices averaging US$68.00 per barrel. While the budget does include a $4 billion “contingency” for unforeseen events, given the economic and fiscal impact of Trump’s tariffs, it could quickly be eaten up.

Budget deficits come with costs for Albertans, who will already pay a projected $600 each in provincial government debt interest in 2025/26. That’s money that could have gone towards health care and education, or even tax relief.

Unfortunately, this is all part of the resource revenue rollercoaster that’s are all too familiar to Albertans.

Resource revenue (including oil and gas royalties) is inherently volatile. In the last 10 years alone, it has been as high as $25.2 billion in 2022/23 and as low as $2.8 billion in 2015/16. The provincial government typically enjoys budget surpluses—and increases government spending—when oil prices and resource revenue is relatively high, but is thrown into deficits when resource revenues inevitably fall.

Fortunately, the Smith government can mitigate this volatility.

The key is limiting the level of resource revenue included in the budget to a set stable amount. Any resource revenue above that stable amount is automatically saved in a rainy-day fund to be withdrawn to maintain that stable amount in the budget during years of relatively low resource revenue. The logic is simple: save during the good times so you can weather the storm during bad times.

Indeed, if the Smith government had created a rainy-day account in 2023, for example, it could have already built up a sizeable fund to help stabilize the budget when resource revenue declines. While the Smith government has deposited some money in the Heritage Fund in recent years, it has not created a dedicated rainy-day account or introduced a similar mechanism to help stabilize provincial finances.

Limiting the amount of resource revenue in the budget, particularly during times of relatively high resource revenue, also tempers demand for higher spending, which is only fiscally sustainable with permanently high resource revenues. In other words, if the government creates a rainy-day account, spending would become more closely align with stable ongoing levels of revenue.

And it’s not too late. To end the boom-bust cycle and finally help stabilize provincial finances, the Smith government should create a rainy-day account.

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Alberta

Governments in Alberta should spur homebuilding amid population explosion

Published on

From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill and Austin Thompson

In 2024, construction started on 47,827 housing units—the most since 48,336 units in 2007 when population growth was less than half of what it was in 2024.

Alberta has long been viewed as an oasis in Canada’s overheated housing market—a refuge for Canadians priced out of high-cost centres such as Vancouver and Toronto. But the oasis is starting to dry up. House prices and rents in the province have spiked by about one-third since the start of the pandemic. According to a recent Maru poll, more than 70 per cent of Calgarians and Edmontonians doubt they will ever be able to afford a home in their city. Which raises the question: how much longer can this go on?

Alberta’s housing affordability problem reflects a simple reality—not enough homes have been built to accommodate the province’s growing population. The result? More Albertans competing for the same homes and rental units, pushing prices higher.

Population growth has always been volatile in Alberta, but the recent surge, fuelled by record levels of immigration, is unprecedented. Alberta has set new population growth records every year since 2022, culminating in the largest-ever increase of 186,704 new residents in 2024—nearly 70 per cent more than the largest pre-pandemic increase in 2013.

Homebuilding has increased, but not enough to keep pace with the rise in population. In 2024, construction started on 47,827 housing units—the most since 48,336 units in 2007 when population growth was less than half of what it was in 2024.

Moreover, from 1972 to 2019, Alberta added 2.1 new residents (on average) for every housing unit started compared to 3.9 new residents for every housing unit started in 2024. Put differently, today nearly twice as many new residents are potentially competing for each new home compared to historical norms.

While Alberta attracts more Canadians from other provinces than any other province, federal immigration and residency policies drive Alberta’s population growth. So while the provincial government has little control over its population growth, provincial and municipal governments can affect the pace of homebuilding.

For example, recent provincial amendments to the city charters in Calgary and Edmonton have helped standardize building codes, which should minimize cost and complexity for builders who operate across different jurisdictions. Municipal zoning reforms in CalgaryEdmonton and Red Deer have made it easier to build higher-density housing, and Lethbridge and Medicine Hat may soon follow suit. These changes should make it easier and faster to build homes, helping Alberta maintain some of the least restrictive building rules and quickest approval timelines in Canada.

There is, however, room for improvement. Policymakers at both the provincial and municipal level should streamline rules for building, reduce regulatory uncertainty and development costs, and shorten timelines for permit approvals. Calgary, for instance, imposes fees on developers to fund a wide array of public infrastructure—including roads, sewers, libraries, even buses—while Edmonton currently only imposes fees to fund the construction of new firehalls.

It’s difficult to say how long Alberta’s housing affordability woes will endure, but the situation is unlikely to improve unless homebuilding increases, spurred by government policies that facilitate more development.

Tegan Hill

Director, Alberta Policy, Fraser Institute

Austin Thompson

Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute
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