Police in Durham Region say they have seen an increase in puppy scams since the beginning of this year.

More than fifteen incidents have been reported to investigators since January, officers said in a news release issued on Wednesday.

According to investigators, all of the victims reported responding to an advertisement for a new furry friend they had seen online. The victims all sent money “with the presumption that they would receive a puppy,” but never received anything in return, police said.

“In some cases, the fraudster would ask for transport fees, custom fees or medical costs before the dog is delivered,” investigators said in the news release. “Once the payment is made they continue to demand more money for fees of a non-existent pet.”

Police said some of the online advertisements would lure these victims in by including “pictures and videos of cute pets.”

“In one of the incidents, the victim lost over $1,800 for a puppy which he never received.”

Officers went on to state some ways residents can protect themselves from these types of scams, including picking up the puppy in person, not sending money before receiving the puppy and doing some more research to verify the legitimacy of the online advertisement.

Police said they encourage those looking to purchase a pooch to get in touch with “local reputable breeders and shelters,” adding that “if the price is too good to be true, it’s probably not true.”