Couple conned into buying Spuds instead of Laptop

Potatoes? All I got was a sackful of little people.......

 We just had to include this report by Raymond Brown of Cambridge News, it concerns a  couple who were conned into believing they were buying a laptop – 

The man and women were tricked out of £650 (!) in Huntingdon High Street by the fraudster.
Police have launched an investigation into the fraud which left the couple out of pocket and holding nothing but a rucksack full of spuds and cardboard.

The victims were approached by the man opposite the Savers supermarket who offered them a laptop computer for sale.  He took them to a car park at the rear of Dominos pizza where they viewed the laptop in a rucksack and agreed to buy it, along with an iPhone. They then visited Lloyds Bank and withdrew £650 in cash before handing it to the fraudster who then took them back to the car park and handed them the closed rucksack.

However, when the victims later looked in the bag they realised they had been duped.

The man is described as white, about 30, more than six feet tall with reddish brown hair and stubble. He wore light blue jeans.  [he also has a wide grin from ear to ear - Ed!] Police have issued a warning about buying goods from strangers in car parks after the incident which happened between 12.30pm and 1.15pm on Tuesday (September 28).

PC Lorna Owen, from Huntingdon police station, said: “I am appealing for anyone with information about who this man might be to contact police. I would also urge people to only purchase goods from genuine companies and make sure they know exactly who they're buying from.”

Anyone with information should contact Pc Owen on 0345 456 4564 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

We've made fun of this, but it carries a serious message, buying anything for CASH, wrapped or signing for goods 'UNEXAMINED' is always a very bad idea no matter how persuasive the doorstep or street salesman is. If you must buy something use a credit card, and then if the transaction goes bad you have the powerful Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act to fall back on - taking the Credit Card company to Court even if the seller has long gone. We have information on this. Just call.

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