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People buying puppies at Christmas have been warned to watch out for online scams.
Police said some online trading sites and fake websites had been set up to sell people puppies that did not exist.
Police said they could be sought-after breeds such as English bulldogs, huskies, Staffordshire bull terriers, Maltese and toy poodles.
They said fake sellers were not likely to let an interested buyer view the puppy before purchase, and would claim they had their own delivery service.
Police said in the past fake sellers had suggested paying for a 'change of ownership' document for each puppy, which is not a thing in New Zealand.
They advised people buying a puppy online to ideally buy from a reputable breeder or authentic seller.
They said people should do extensive research on sellers and always ask to see the puppy in person before paying money to anyone.