Guardia catch up with internet fraudster

A SUSPECTED conman – who sold brand-name sports clothing, shoes and accessories on different websites at very low prices – has been arrested by the Guardia Civil.

He was based in San Javier on the Mar Menor.

A force spokesman noted that the items touted on the internet were not forgeries.

However, the goods sent to buyers were counterfeit, had flaws in them or were not the size the customer had ordered.

According to the Guardia Civil, the suspect had been selling the wares to internet buyers all over the country for more than three years.

He is believed to have sold items to around 2,500 people, although only a handful of victims reported the con to the security forces.

The investigation was started at the end of 2019, when several victims in the

San Javier area contacted the Guardia Civil.

They had contacted the salesman via WhatsApp and paid between €40 and €120 for the items.

The clothing had been sold through cash on delivery, so when the courier left they had already paid for goods which turned out to be faulty.

The scam was initially believed to be a minor offence, but as the investigation developed, the officers discovered that it dated back to 2017.

The suspect was caught transporting 80 items of counterfeit clothing in the boot of his car.

He has been charged with continuous fraud.

The Guardia Civil have asked internet shoppers to take care when ordering items online – and to always use official websites and mistrust online bargains which seem to be too good to be true.