Police hunting suspect in £10,000 online Rolex scam

POLICE have released an image of a suspect they want to trace after a man was fleeced out of £10,000 for a Rolex watch he was selling online.

The victim, who is in his 30s, had agreed to sell the high-end timepiece after advertising it on the website Gumtree.

The buyer appeared to transfer the funds into his bank account on Tuesday 8th October after being given his details.

He turned up at the victim’s home in West Parley, near Hurn, on the same day and collected the watch.

But the next day the victim noticed the funds had been withdrawn from his account and he was unable to contact the buyer with the phone number provided.

Further enquiries with his bank revealed the funds related to a cheque that had been paid in had bounced as it was on a business account that had closed in December last year.

PC Michelle Yarrow said: “This incident has left the victim significantly out of pocket and I am keen to identify the man responsible.

“I am issuing an image of the man who attended to collect the watch and would urge anyone with information as to his identity to please contact us.”

Anyone with information should call Dorset officers on 101, quoting crime reference number 55190160102, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.