TWO men reportedly defrauded a member of the public after agreeing to buy an item for sale and never paying for it.
Dorset Police received a report that at around 3pm on October 4 two men attended an address in Grove Avenue, Weymouth, to complete a purchase for an item following an agreement made via Facebook Marketplace.
The men requested the victim’s bank details to transfer money for the item and showed the victim what appeared to be a completed transaction on a mobile banking app. The item was handed over, but it was subsequently established that the online banking transaction had not been completed and the money has still not been paid.
Police Community Support Investigator Amelia Vaughan, of Dorset Police, said: “We are investigating this incident and I am issuing a CCTV image of two men we would like to speak to as part of our enquiries.
“We have had several reports of incidents of a similar nature recently and we would urge members of the public to be vigilant when purchasing items online.
“Always check and be completely satisfied the money is in your bank account before you hand over the goods. Genuine buyers will accept that this is correct practice.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55210161119. Alternatively, to stay 100 per cent anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call Freephone 0800 555 111.
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