Police urge the public to remain vigilant when selling goods online after over £125,000 scammed

West Midlands Police are urging members of the public to remain vigilant after con artists scammed West Midlands residents out of more than £125,000.

People who advertised goods on social platforms such as Facebook, Gumtree and Ebay have been the targets of scam artists – Law enforcement are urging members of the public to take extra care before handing over any items amid major ongoing fraud reports in the last six months.

The goods scammed have mainly been of high value such as Rolex watches or technical goods like smartphones.

West Midlands Police described how the scam is taking place, they wrote: “Fraudsters have been contacting sellers offering to buy their item and usually arranging a meeting at the seller’s home or work address.

“At the meeting, the con artist will inspect the item and agree to pay for it via bank transfer, however, a fraudulent cheque will be paid into the victim’s account with the funds showing as pending.

“The victim will hand over their goods thinking the payment has been completed, but the cheque will later bounce back unpaid.”

DC Edward Spokes, from the Economic Crime Unit, said: “The closure of non-essential shops has meant more people are buying and selling their goods online and unfortunately fraudsters are finding ways to take advantage of people even during this difficult time.

“Anyone selling goods online should check with their banks that any payments have cleared their accounts before handing over goods. Funds shown as pending in the account do not necessarily mean that the payment has been completed.”

If you’ve been the victim of a fraud or you suspect one is being attempted, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk.