FALSE bank drafts are being used to buy pricey cars across the country – including a £39,000 Hummer car in Ipswich.Suffolk Police today warned people to take extra precautions when accepting bank drafts in exchange for moveable goods.

FALSE bank drafts are being used to buy pricey cars across the country – including a £39,000 Hummer car in Ipswich.

Suffolk Police today warned people to take extra precautions when accepting bank drafts in exchange for moveable goods. The warning comes after a number of high-value cars have been bought, using the false drafts which appear to be drawn on both NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland accounts.

At the beginning of this month , one was used to buy a distinctive Hummer car in the Ipswich area.

The false Royal Bank of Scotland bank drafts are signed and stamped 'City Office of London', and bear the code 15100062721883000199999745.

The false NatWest drafts are signed and stamped 'Edmontin London' and carry the code 6007320000006000121235866011.

The distinctive Hummer car is believed to have been recovered by police, but today Detective Constable Cas Smith at Ipswich said: "This is an organised crime scam and many people have been taken in by it.

"Not only have people in Suffolk been conned by accepting forged bank drafts, but there is also the problem of these stolen cars being sold on with all the correct documents.

"Cars which have been obtained with forged bank drafts elsewhere in the UK, have then been sold on to innocent purchasers in Suffolk, including one car dealership at Chedburgh."

Banks and police are asking people to check any draft that they are offered, and if they have any doubt they should call the bank involved.

A police spokesman said: "Sellers should avoid completing transactions outside normal working hours, when they would not be able to check the validity of a draft.

"If anyone is offered a bank draft bearing either of the codes mentioned, they should contact their local police immediately."

Weblink:

www.bba.org.uk/public/consumers/bankfacts/5433.