I was devastated when my beloved cat died – and I fell for an online scam when I tried to replace her

As a seasoned journalist, YOU’s Pieter van Zyl felt he was wise to scam artists. But keen to find a kitten to fill the hole in his heart left by the passing of his beloved pet, he fell prey to a woman who had nothing but money on the mind. This is his cautionary tale.

I was heartbroken when my cat died. Grietjie helped ease the lockdown blues, lying in a patch of sunlight on my desk and watching me while I worked. Sometimes she’d sit on the windowsill gazing at the sea with me.

Her spot is empty now and whenever I look up from my laptop, I can see the small red urn containing my beautiful sphinx cat’s ashes.