Elderly man scammed out of money by rogue '˜mechanic' in a Dungannon carpark

It is understood the culprit said he could fix the man’s car if he gave him some money for parts, but never returned to the Beechvalley carpark where he was waiting.

Speaking about the incident Sergeant Stuart Lowry said: “At approximately 4.20pm on Saturday (March 12), police received a report that sometime between 3.30pm and 3.45pm an elderly gentleman parked his car in a carpark in the Beechvalley area of Dungannon; he was approached by an unknown male.

“This man told the gentleman that he had seen sparks coming from the rear of his car. He then went on to say that he was a mechanic and he could fix his vehicle for him.

“He asked for a sum of money to get parts for his car. The driver of the car handed over a sum of cash and the man left to allegedly get the parts for the car, however he did not return.”

Issuing a warning to other motorists, Sergeant Lowry continued: “I would advise all motorists to exercise extreme caution. If anyone approaches you and states that there is something wrong with your car never ever hand over money to them for repairs.

“No reputable mechanic would ever ask a total stranger to hand over cash at a roadside. If this happens to you contact a member of your family or a friend to come to assist you and then call a reputable mechanic.

“I would ask anyone who may have been approached in a similar manner to contact Police on the non-emergency number 101.”