A Welsh man has fallen victim to a classic scam and paid $869 for 2 bottles of Cherryade.
The unsuspecting man was approached by a scammer in downtown Swansea, Wales as he went about his business. The scammer offered him a great deal on an Apple laptop and a smartphone, and the man took him up on the offer, according to the South Wales Evening Post.
Apple fan scammed in Swansea
Swansea police are appealing for information after the scammer made off with the money, leaving the victim with just two bottles of Cherryade and some cardboard to show for his troubles.
The incident occurred around lunchtime on Tuesday 19 May, when the victim was approached by a man offering to sell him Apple products. The 25-year-old victim tested the products, which were then placed into a rucksack. The man duly paid for the items, but the scammer presumably switched the bag for one that contained nothing more valuable than some fizzy pop and pieces of cardboard.
This is not the first time that Apple products have been involved in a scam and it almost certainly will not be the last. The scammer has been described as a white male between the ages of 24 and 30, and measures between 5ft 10ins and 6ft 2ins tall. Police are searching for the man, who spoke with an Irish accent and escaped the scene in a dark blue estate car.
Scammer preys on bargain hunter
Local police have warned people to be aware of similar scams, and appealed to anyone that might have any information to come forward. Detective Constable Sharon Price of Swansea CID said: “We are appealing to anyone who saw the suspect in the city center or who has been approached in similar circumstances to contact the police.”
Price also made an appeal for common sense should anyone be offered such a deal on Apple products in future. “Our advice to anyone who is offered the chance to buy items in such circumstances is to politely decline. If the offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is.”
The last phrase is a piece of sage advice which can be applied to a vast number of situations in life.
