iPhone scam leaves victims with bottles of pop
Two men conned when buying what they thought was an iPhone 6S.
Police are warning people against buying goods from strangers in the street after another hoax left two people ÂŁ800 out of pocket.
GMP City Centre say the victims met a man outside the Arndale Centre and handed over the cash for what they thought were four iPhone 6S handsets - but when they checked the bag they ended up with two bottles of Sprite instead.
It's one of a string of similar offences to happen recently in the City Centre.
Police are urging people to make use of their new 'Internet Purchase Exchange Location’ scheme - the first of its kind being piloted in the UK.
It's a place where people who are trading goods online can meet potential buyers or sellers in a safe environment.
The idea is currently being trialled outside the North Manchester Headquarters, where it will be under CCTV surveillance, reducing the risk to individuals by removing the need for people to divulge their home addresses and by providing neutral ground in close proximity to police officers for people to make exchanges.
The location of the trial site can be found immediately outside GMP North Manchester Headquarters, Northampton Road, M40 5BP, and GMP hope that as the scheme is rolled out across Greater Manchester, more and more sites will become available for the public to use.
Chief Superintendent Wasim Chaudhry, Head of the City of Manchester Policing team, said: “We are always looking for ways to keep up with the times, and make our policing reflective of the people who make up our communities.
“As the number of people using online sites to do their shopping continues to rise, so does the need for such safety and crime prevention schemes.
“People who live alone, or who perhaps do not feel comfortable giving their home address to a stranger on the internet, can now arrange to meet outside our North Manchester HQ safe in the knowledge that help is close by if they need it.
“As well as providing that immediate sense of security, this will hopefully double up as a useful crime prevention tool, as those criminals who use internet sites to defraud their victims with false goods or empty boxes will think twice of doing so in full view of CCTV cameras outside a busy police station.”