OKEECHOBEE — A local couple was scammed out of $700 when they attempted to buy a cat online.

On Jan. 14, Okeechobee County Deputy Devon Satallante was dispatched to the Okeechobee Police Department in reference to a fraud complaint. When he arrived, he spoke to a couple who told him they had found a website called darlingsphynxkittens4sale.com, and had found a Sphynx cat they wanted to purchase. They contacted a man named Kelvin Ojong and made arrangements to pay $500 plus $200 shipping for the cat. They paid the money through a transfer system called Zelle. The following day, they received a phone call from a shipping company called Pacific Freight, who told them the cat was sensitive and needed a special shipping container. The container would cost another $770. The couple refused to pay the additional fee, did some research online and realized they had been scammed. They went to their bank and reported it, and were told the bank will dispute the charges and they will be reimbursed.