The island’s financial regulator has issued a warning about a fake online parrot pet shop.

Global Parrots & More claims on its glossy-looking website to be based on the Spring Valley industrial estate in Braddan.

But the Financial Services Authority says there is no such company registered here - and advises that anyone who has paid money to it should contact police without delay.

At first glance, the globalparrotsandmore.com website looks impressive. It advertises for sale hand-reared birds, trained macaws and talking African grey parrots.

It says it has breeding centres in South Africa, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Senegal.

The website gives Global Parrots & More’s address as 1 Springham Park in Douglas and provides two UK mobile numbers as its contact. Its Facebook page gives its address as Greenford Avenue in London.

But all is not what it seems. Number 1 Springham Park is actually the home of Agrimark wholesale cash and carry.

And the picture used is in fact that of the now-closed Hanwell pet shop in London, which has been doctored so the name now reads ’Parrots Pet Store’ and ’Global Parrots & More’.

A comparison with the original photograph shows the same car reflected in the window.

One parrot enthusiasts’ website said it had been contacted by someone who had paid $1,400 to Global Parrots & More for an African grey and received confirmation of shipping but was never sent the parrot - and the company has not returned any communication.

The globalparrotsandmore.com domain name was registered in the US with godaddy.com in March 2017, apparently by a Muhammad Zuhair based in Karachi.

In a statement, the FSA said: ’The authority has recently become aware of a website purporting to represent the business Global Parrots & More who are claiming to operate out of the Isle of Man and offering for sale exotic birds such as parrots, cockatoos and macaws.

’The business address quoted in the website is that of a genuine, long established Isle of Man company who has no knowledge of or connection to this potentially bogus entity.

’There is no company incorporated in the Isle of Man by the name of Global Parrots & More.

’The authority has established no association between the above entity and any genuine Isle of Man companies or businesses.

’Any persons who have paid funds to the above entity should consider contacting their local police without delay.’

The Financial Services Authority advises that anyone who has already dealt with Global Parrots & More and has concerns should contact the authority’s enforcement division on 689321 or by e-mail to [email protected]