BEWARE - fake leather jacket scam. Reportage

217Scambusters

Well, this nice, polite, and plausible man managed to con my 80-year old mother out of £150 for 5 jackets, using exactly the same patter described in this thread. Only this time, my mother was in her front garden when this guy stopped, claiming he was looking for one of the neighbours who'd agreed to take the jackets, which were samples from a trade fair at the NEC and would be excess baggage if he had to take them back to Italy. Sounds familiar?

This occurred in Leamington Spa in July; the "leather/suede" jackets are labelled "Emporio Collection" and appear reasonable quality (until you look at the stitching inside). He also left a business card in the name of Franco De Simone, with an Italian phone no. which (needless to say) no-one answers.

So this scam is alive and kicking and now includes vulnerable old ladies in its hit-list. As I said at the start, what a nice guy. I'd welcome an opportunity to shake his hand.

cpmoney

My 81 year old Father met a supposed Italian man in the Saindsbury's car park, Oxford Road, Swindon. My Dad who normally wouldn't give anyone the time of day if they approached him like that felt sorry for this man who couldn't pay for his hire car. After showing him what my Dad thought was genuine hire documents and some leather jackets (all the guy had to barter with) my Dad proceeded to withdraw £250 from the cash point in exchange for the jackets. He was so excited when he got home as he thought he'd helped this guy out and could dish out some nice jackets to the family. The guy scribbled some, no doubt, rubbish address in Italy and took my father's name and address!!!

Needless to say these are PVC and very poor imitations and this con man can only flog to pensioners.

Reading the blogs it seems this man (and his friends) get about so all I can say is I hope he stops me one day - I'll be looking out for him now!

italianscammersmustdie

Whilst on the way back from shopping for my employer, Italian in silver FIAT Punto stopped next to me, I thought it would be for directions BUT THERE THEY WERE... The jackets some of us have ended up with.

He told me he had lost all his money at the casino (£3000) and that he needed money to pay for petrol. (How I did not pick up on this !!!!!!!! beforehand, I shall never know)

Originally, I was going to get 2 jackets for £200, went to the cashpoint and could only 50, he accepted but gave me only one jacket.

Realised I had been scammed as I was opening the door of my house and his smiling face was stuck in my subconsciousness.

Devastating.

For what it's worth, I was off Belgravia Square, towards Grosvenor place. He's stepped up, from what I've read around here.

toeragittalian

italianscammersmustdie wrote: »

Whilst on the way back from shopping for my employer, Italian in silver FIAT Punto stopped next to me, I thought it would be for directions BUT THERE THEY WERE... The jackets some of us have ended up with.

He told me he had lost all his money at the casino (£3000) and that he needed money to pay for petrol. (How I did not pick up on this !!!!!!!! beforehand, I shall never know)

Originally, I was going to get 2 jackets for £200, went to the cashpoint and could only 50, he accepted but gave me only one jacket.

Realised I had been scammed as I was opening the door of my house and his smiling face was stuck in my subconsciousness.

Devastating.

For what it's worth, I was off Belgravia Square, towards Grosvenor place. He's stepped up, from what I've read around here.

They are now in Cambridgeshire.
Wisbech Aldi car park.
Same small Italian guy, same patter "been to exibition" etc same flaming Fiat Punto with italian plates.
Little toerag used the same lines going home etc and had no fuel in his car (diesel) going to Dover didnt want to pay taxes blah blah..... This time was giving the jackets away for nothing just wanted fuel.
Think you are helping someone out and then get screwed. should have seen through it, thought I wasn't as guillible - guess I was wrong!!!!
Hopefully will see him again at sometime!
Then he's mine!:mad:

Enfieldian

Hmm,

Does anybody really care?

Buy a "leather" jacket from a bloke in a car park and what do you expect?

pelirocco

hilspars wrote: »

There is a scam going on at the moment which unfortunately my husband got stung by yesterday.
He is not stupid by any means and is a company director but so good is this con artist that he got caught.
Coming out of car park in Coventry, an italian man approached him with a story about how he was on his way back to Italy after attending a fashion conference at the NEC ( this conference did happen and La moda did exhibit there ) .
He said he was a rep for la moda and he just had these 4 jackets left over at the end of the show. He was on his way to the airport and did not want to pay excess luggage to take them home but would my husband consider having them for the price of his hire car ( £260 ).
the jackets looked good ( or the 2 he looked closely at ) and the guy was very plausible with a seemingly soft sell. He also showed him his passport and pictures of wife and family.
He parted with the money and then rang me. As soon as i put reportage jackets into google it came up with scambusters website with similar stories from around the world. The jackets are PVC not leather and certainly not Armani. Please beware. If this post stops one of you falling for same then i have not wasted my time.

I would have said we had the same husband ................but mine is stupid:rotfl:

flying_framer

Such a plausible story
Service station on M40 north of Banbury
I'm on my way to Heathrow and have these Armani suits left over from a trade show at NEC.
I give them to you free as too many to take home.
Then " so you give me some cash so I can buy my family some presents at Heathrow"
He's just given me what looks like fine suits and leather coats
Seems fair to at least pay something.

Get home and the suits are not there, only 3 lousy plastic jackets
And I thought I was street wise.
This is a wake up call:eek:
Said he was Italian from Milan in a hire car.
I got my phone out to show him a picture of Milan cathedral.
Should have taken his !!!!!!! picture same time.

Just glad dont have to use my real name on this site.:)
Maybe time for Rouge Traders to do a feature on the scam.
Edit .... Should have said Rogue Traders - see smart comment below

skiddlydiddly

Is Rouge Traders some kind of makeup exchange programme?

Dave101t

these guys are often in motorway service stations, and if the jackets look that good for fakes, why not pay? no one will know

flying_framer

Dave101t wrote: »

these guys are often in motorway service stations, and if the jackets look that good for fakes, why not pay? no one will know

The one he shows you looks like real leather.

But the one you get is in a plastic bag, its only when you get it home and open it, that you smell the PVC, and realise its not what you were shown.
Mine is hanging in the garage - the whole garage smells of PVC now!:eek: