Police warn dealers

Police are warning dealers to be on their guard against a new type of bike crime.

The criminals make contact to buy a bike over the phone using a credit card. The most common targets are childrens bikes and quads.

The transaction is accepted by the credit card company and authorised. The dealer is then told that a courier will collect the bike later in the day.

The courier is given an address to deliver to – usually in the West Midlands. While on route the “purchaser” maintains regular contact with the courier as to his ETA and current whereabouts and at the last minute the courier is told to ignore the delivery address on the receipt and told to drop the bike off on a street corner or similar.

A few days later the dealer is contacted by their bank to be told that the transaction was in fact fraudulent and has been refused.

The credit card details given are those of innocent people who although still having the card in their possession, someone has managed to get the card numbers / start/expiry dates and 3 digit code.

More information: contact DC Bob Holland on 01723-509652

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