Brittany Osborne now facing 55 charges linked to alleged pet scams

A Newfoundland and Labrador woman — who is accused of taking money from victims across Canada for animals that didn't exist, and stealing the identities of dog breeders to aid in the ruse — is facing even more charges.

Brittany Cora Lynn Osborne, 26, appeared in Harbour Grace provincial court on Monday morning by videolink from prison.

According to court documents, the Harbour Grace woman — who also goes by her maiden name, Mahaney — is now facing a total of 55 charges related to the pet scam, including fraud, forgery, stealing identities and personation with intent.

She was arrested in June, just days after CBC Investigates reported on claims from multiple people from across the country, who said they paid hundreds of dollars in e-transfers for puppies they never received.

They said they had placed "Dog Wanted" ads on Kijiji, and then got a response from a woman claiming to have the dog they were looking for.

The victims then sent deposits between $150 and $500 each.

CBC Investigates also spoke with two dog breeders, who said their identities had been stolen as part of the scam.

Osborne was originally facing two dozen charges, including fraud and identity theft. An additional 14 charges were laid in August.

New charges laid in September

Then, this month, 17 more charges were laid against Osborne.

According to recently filed court documents, Osborne is accused of fraudulently impersonating two dog breeders on several occasions between February and June of this year.

She is also charged with taking money from three people by falsely selling dogs on Kijiji.

The documents note that she took three separate payments from one person, totalling $1,270.

And Osborne is accused of breaching a previous court order that barred her from accessing online marketplaces like Kijiji.

She is scheduled to return to court Nov. 26 for the pet scam charges.

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