Hi and welcome to YT.
I'm so sorry that you got scammed
you were not an idiot, these people know what they are doing and im sure they have scammed many many people before.
The whole 'you can have the pups for free just pay the shipping' is a very old and common scam, if it sounds too good to be true. It usually is.
These sickos will pull anything from pretending to have a disability to pretending a loved one has died to scam you out of money, you really need to be careful.
Try typing "puppy scams" in Google and see a few that come up, be very aware of anyone who lives in another country and only wants you to pay the shipping. Especially the Cameroon scam.
I dont think its wise to send someone money for a dog you have not seen in person, im sure someone will be able to help you with breeders closer to home. Good luck in your search!