A fraudster who tried to dupe a camera shop by using £600 worth of ‘fake’ postal orders to buy a Leica D-Lux 4 has been stopped in his tracks.
Police are understood to have raided an address in East London after the suspect sent false postal orders to Clifton Cameras in Dursley, Gloucestershire.
Clifton Cameras owner Mark Williams reported his suspicions to a police officer on his way home from a local bank which had refused to accept the postal orders on 7 January.
A Gloucestershire Police spokesman confirmed that the force is currently investigating the case. He told us that the suspect had posted the ‘fake postal orders’ to Clifton Cameras, requesting the Leica camera be delivered to an address in London.
Earlier this month lens maker Carl Zeiss alerted UK dealers about a ‘possible fraud attempt’ by a man using fake postal orders.
Zeiss UK spokesman Paul Longley warned: ‘A number of customers have been contacted by a gentleman with an odd accent wanting to purchase expensive equipment.
‘Very few questions are asked about the equipment, there is no haggling over price and he says he will send a cheque for the amount agreed.
‘However when the payment arrives it is made by postal order? These postal orders are fake.
‘If you receive such an order and payment, either by cheque or postal order please make sure they are genuine by having your bank or post office check them thoroughly for you.
‘Please do not ship any equipment until you are happy the payment is genuine…’
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