Australia is suffering a wave of puppy scams as fraudsters target the lonely and locked down with fake online offers of cavoodles, French bulldogs and other popular pooches, said authorities.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said the scammers fleeced people looking for a new pet out of some A$300,000 (US$200,000) last month alone, five times higher than the normal monthly average.

ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said: “A lot of people are stuck at home and going online to buy a pet to help them get through the loneliness of social isolation.

“Unfortunately the rush to get a new pet and the unusual circumstances of Covid-19 makes it harder to work out what’s real or a scam.”

With restrictions on travel making it harder for people to see dogs in-person, scammers will often ask for upfront payments to cover transport and then disappear, she said. “Unfortunately once you make the payments, the seller will cease all contact.”

Cavoodles – a cross breed of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Miniature Poodle – and French bulldogs were among the most popular breeds used to lure potential puppy owners, the ACCC said in a statement earlier this week.

It comes amid a soaring demand for pets during the pandemic with Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) New South Wales reporting a dramatic rise in adoption and foster inquiries last month.

“Try not to fall for the adorable puppy pictures they post, and remember, if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is,” said Rickard.

The amount lost to puppy scams in the first four months of this year has almost reached the total lost across all last year while Aussies have lost A$700,000 to virus-related scams so far this year.