A Scottish council has issued a warning after an online scam offering Highland cows for sale was exposed after potential buyers turned up at a country park.
Falkirk Council’s Trading Standards said the cattle and other livestock were listed online using Muiravonside’s address and post code to appear credible with the public.
The local authority said the bogus website – which appears to have been taken down – was also used for scam puppy sales.
The alarm was raised when members of the public arrived at the park to enquire about the animals for sale and alerted staff to the situation.
Michael McGuinness, head of growth, planning, sport and culture, said: “It is deeply concerning to see scammers using a place like Muiravonside Country Park to deceive unsuspecting buyers.
“We urge everyone to exercise caution when making purchases online, especially from unfamiliar websites.
“Our priority is to protect consumers and ensure that fraudulent activities like these are dealt with quickly by the right authorities.”
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Trading Standards reported the incident to Nominet, the company responsible for managing domain names in the UK, as part of efforts to take the site down.
Officers are also urging members of the public to verify any website or online business before making financial transactions involving significant purchases like livestock or pets.
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Claire Martin, countryside ranger at Muiravonside, said: “It is disappointing to see someone using the park to con the public potentially.
“Our cattle are not for sale however we do have five, very lovely Highland ‘coos’ that the public are more than welcome to visit at the park.”