Police warning after local man conned out of £850

The man had made arrangements to transport the vehicle to his home in good faith, but was then duped into sending £850 to meet shipping costs.

Police say that anyone using the internet for business transactions should ensure that they check out the provider/sellr before they forward any money.

And they stress that any transfer of money should be secure and traceable.

A spokesperson said that internet fraud was recognised as a growing problem and that users need to carry out checks to safeguard themselves.

In this instance, a false pay pal request was made when the man was told that money was going into his account.

He had been in the process of completing a car transaction and was told that the money for the vehicle had been received, but that it would not be released until shipping costs were met.

He then sent £850 to meet those costs and when another request was made for further money he alerted the PSNI.

Police are currently investigating the matter, but have repeated their warning that anyone embarking on an internet transaction should make sure that safeguards are in place.