A worker for DPD has been fired after a Hampstead man reported being given £700 in counterfeit money when selling his camera.
Police opened an investigation after the Frognal resident reported being victim to a fraudulent payment with counterfeit £50 notes for his Leica X2 cemera, which he had advertised online via Gumtree.
A 40-year-old data scientist, who asked to be referred to only by his first name, Piero, warned neighbours in NW3 to be aware of con artists, after the incident on April 27 around 10.30pm.
On the night, a DPD worker dressed in uniform turned up at his home, paid for the camera with fake cash, then was driven off in a DPD van.
Piero said they nearly crashed into another van as they fled.
DPD, the international parcel delivery business, apologised to Piero and confirmed a man had been sacked following the incident.
Piero told the Ham&High: “It's not just a scam, it’s the fact that they were driving a DPD van.
“Nowadays when you look at a uniform or any delivery vans you kind of associate it with reliable service people, people being vetted and proper people working.”
He continued: “Despite the fact Hampstead feels a very safe area, the threats potentially come from the outside.
“So even though Hampstead is kind of physically secure, it doesn't mean you don't have bad experiences.
“It’s very clean, it feels very safe, but we still live in London.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “On April 27 police were made aware of a report of fraudulent activity in the NW3 area in relation to the exchange of suspected counterfeit currency in return for goods. Police have been in contact with the victim and are looking at all potential leads available."
A spokesperson for DPD confirmed the worker involved had been sacked, adding: “We would like to apologise... and reassure the public that issues such as this are incredibly rare, but we will always take immediate action if the behaviour of any member of our team is found to fall below our high standards.”
For more information on crimes of fraud visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
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