KUALA LUMPUR: A hairstylist paid RM950 ($391.40) for a dog that he neither saw nor received.

Lau Poon Kau, 27, said he had transferred the money at a bank in the Pulau Tikus One Store Shopping Centre in Penang on Oct 26 last year, to a man who claimed he had a three-month-old Shih Tzu for sale.

The man claimed he was a veterinarian and had helped deliver the puppy.

The two men had never met each other and the transaction was done via phone calls.

However, after Lau had transferred the money, he was told the dog had contracted a virus and was asked to transfer an additional RM200 for the dog's medical fees. He became suspicious and refused to make the payment.

Lau was later told that the canine had died and even though he was promised a second dog, his repeated attempts to contact the "veterinarian" failed.

He lodged a report at the Pudu police station in Kuala Lumpur on March 9.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau head Datuk Michael Chong, whom Lau approached for assistance yesterday, asked members of the public to be wary of such scams.

"You should be careful when buying things that are priced exceptionally low from someone that you do not know," he said.