potato scam

carrock
carrock Posts: 1,103
edited November 2010 in The bottom bracket
A man who thought he had scooped a Christmas bargain was duped into paying £300 for a sack of potatoes.


Two conmen, who approached the victim near Poundstretcher on Friargate in Preston on Thursday at around 11am, pretended they were selling a laptop and an iPhone.

The 35-year-old man believed them and went to draw out £300 from a cash machine at Barclays on Blackpool Road.

But while he was distracted the fraudsters, who were both Irish, switched the goods in the holdall for a bag of potataoes.

They were seen driving off in a W-registered silver Vauxhall Astra, before the victim realised the con.

Police are warning bargain hunters not to be taken in if they are offered expensive items in the street.

Det Insp Dave McKenna, of Preston CID, said: “Do not buy goods from strangers in the street.

“This scam is nationwide and has happened several times in Preston.

“In this case the conmen showed him a laptop and phone but then exchanged the goods without him realising.

“People think they are getting a bargain, particularly at this time of year, and they could lose their Christmas money.

“The men drove off in a W-registered Astra which we are hoping people may recognise.”



:shock:

Comments

  • secretsqizz
    secretsqizz Posts: 424
    Happened to me,,, was being sold some really nice spuds and ended up with a holdall with a feckin Thinkpad.
    My pen won't write on the screen
  • disquieting_museeuws
    disquieting_museeuws Posts: 601
    People are still falling for medieval scams (see poke, pig in)?
  • Chip \'oyler
    Chip \'oyler Posts: 2,323
    I'm surprised some Irishmen are giving away potatoes, particularly when their economy is down the pan
    Expertly coached by http://www.vitessecyclecoaching.co.uk/

    http://vineristi.wordpress.com - the blog for Viner owners and lovers!
  • fleshtuxedo
    fleshtuxedo Posts: 1,858
    Were they Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes though? They are worth it.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Jeez there's some thick people around!
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    Blimey that trick is as old as the hills. A fool and his money are soon parted etc..
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Potato scam? New Police Dept set up to investigate-

    chips.jpg
  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    It reads like an episode from Blackadder. Only Baldrick would be so stupid to fall for such a breathtakingly simple and cunning deception.

    There are some really thick people about. Still at least they won't go hungry ...... though potatoes are poisonous until cooked.
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
    Think how stupid the average person is.......
    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    What moron !
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • Airwave
    Airwave Posts: 483
    Luckily for the human race.People who fall for these scams will become evolutionary relics in a few million years.But the Irish tinkers will still be trying to flog left over tarmac&dvds of Jedwood :lol:
    TT photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/steverob/
  • Keith47
    Keith47 Posts: 158
    Similar type of scam occured recently in our area. Polish guy selling flat screen TV from the back of his van, when the gullible buyer gets home the box contains an old smashed telly! There are some incredibly dense people around :roll:
    The problem is we are not eating food anymore, we are eating food-like products.
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    Keith47 wrote:
    Similar type of scam occured recently in our area. Polish guy selling flat screen TV from the back of his van, when the gullible buyer gets home the box contains an old smashed telly! There are some incredibly dense people around :roll:

    Indeed, I often wonder how they are employed in order to have money to spend in the first place.
  • carrock
    carrock Posts: 1,103
    Keith47 wrote:
    Similar type of scam occured recently in our area. Polish guy selling flat screen TV from the back of his van, when the gullible buyer gets home the box contains an old smashed telly! There are some incredibly dense people around :roll:

    Similar thing happened in Cumbria. Some irish travellers in a white transit van ( quelle surprise ) selling shrinkwrapped tellies that were just hollow shells with breezeblocks inside....
  • deptfordmarmoset
    deptfordmarmoset Posts: 3,118
    dilemna wrote:
    It reads like an episode from Blackadder. Only Baldrick would be so stupid to fall for such a breathtakingly simple and cunning deception.

    There are some really thick people about. Still at least they won't go hungry ...... though potatoes are poisonous until cooked.

    If they were I'd be dead by now - as a kid I'd eat just about any vegetable raw. Except swedes and turnips - but even cooking doesn't make them edible. Probably best to avoid the very green ones though...they haven't killed me but apparently they can be a bit toxic. Still, probably less toxic than eating a laptop.
    Looking for a cycling buddy?
  • Buckled_Rims
    Buckled_Rims Posts: 1,648
    All those potatoes are well worth the money if it helps you lose weight:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11864290
    CAAD9
    Kona Jake the Snake
    Merlin Malt 4
  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    Didn't billy bob thornton suffer from malnutrition on a potatoe only diet as thats all he had to eat.....then got an acting role and could afford to buy stuff!

Categories