Woman loses $350 in monkey scam

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Police in Michigan said a woman reported she lost $350 to alleged scammers who promised to sell her a monkey.

Battle Creek police said the 25-year-old woman told officers Tuesday she and her roommate had attempted to purchase a pet monkey from Cameroon via a website, the Battle Creek Enquirer reported Wednesday.

The woman told investigators the operators of the website told her she could order a $350 monkey for only $50, but after she paid the smaller amount they demanded more money. The woman said she made two more payments, $200 and $100, but the website operators continued to demand more money.

Police said they believe the website to be a scam and they are not optimistic about the chances of getting the woman's money back.