On the Saturday of Bank holiday Monday a man called
Mark Phillips phoned to say he was interested in my Baritone sax and
wanted to come and view it that day. He was very keen, seemed very
genuine and told me he had seen quite a few but they were all damaged
in some way so was very interested in the condition of it. To cut
a long story short, we agreed he could view it in the evening and
agreed a price if he liked it. He said his bank closed in an hour
(I was talking to him at mid-day) so he'd go and get a bankers draft
for the correct amount so if he liked it he could buy it.
However, in the evening he called and said his son was taken ill in
Brighton so he couldn't make it but was still very keen and so his
fiance would be coming on his behalf. She arrived, was happy with
instrument, gave me bankers draft and his proof of address including
NHS medical card (real!). However, I was truely fooled but my housemate
wasn't happy with the bankers draft, so we decided not to let the
saxophone go, she was very understanding about it and called fiance
who said he'd be round with cash the following week, we agreed a day
and time and she left.
However, when we called Natwest we found out that the branch the bankers
draft was from was closed that Saturday morning and when I went to
Natwest I realised that the bankers draft was actually a very bad
forgery!
However, the reason I tell you this is because so many people said
to me the cash or bankers drafts were the only secure way to accept
payment, but my experience proves its not!!! And with it being a bank
holiday, it was a perfect scam as it would have been three days until
I could take the bankers draft to the bank and find out I'd lost my
£2250 baritone saxophone to thieves!