Columbia woman lost $40K trying to get a dog from a Craigslist ad, police say

A Columbia woman is out $40,000 after she transferred money to purchase a dog she found in a Craigslist ad but never received the dog, according to police.

The theft was reported earlier this month by a 19-year-old woman, according to a Columbia Police Department incident report. The victim’s identity is redacted from the report.

She told officers she transferred funds totaling $40,000 in exchange for a dog, but never received the dog, according to the report.

Columbia police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said the victim had communicated through email with the seller after learning about the animal, a Siberian Husky, on Craigslist.

No arrests have been made, and there was no information on the suspect. The case has been assigned to an investigator, who is treating it as a grand larceny.

This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 9:34 AM.