A 56-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a doorstep fraud which took place in West Lothian.
Earlier this week, officers were contacted by a bank in Bathgate who stopped an elderly man from withdrawing a three-figure sum of cash to pay a bogus caller who had offered counterfeit designer clothing for sale.
The 56-year-old appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court on Wednesday 7th February.
Inspector Jamie Campbell of Livingston Police Station said: “We recommend that people never buy things from sellers in the street or who turn up announced at the door. Those who commit such crimes, like bogus callers and rogue traders, are extremely convincing in how they approach and interact with potential victims. Anyone can be convinced by the lies these criminals come out with.
“Anyone who feels threatened, pressurised or suspicious of a caller should call police on 999 immediately. The local Trading Standards service at the council is also committed to tackling this type of unscrupulous crime.”
Anyone who may have been offered items for sale in similar suspicious circumstances should contact police on 101 quoting reference 1816 of Tuesday 6th February or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
