While the Galaxy has...
While the Galaxy has been a fixture in Ford"s line-up since 1995, the S-MAX is a "first" for the blue oval. It slots into the range beneath its big brother and above the Mondeo estate, providing family buyers with a sporty alternative to a traditional people carrier.
The crooks respond to...
The crooks respond to classified ads in the specialist press, and pay for vehicles with high-quality forged bankers" draft cheques. By the time the forgery is spotted - usually days later - the seller has handed over the keys and paperwork. The car is either exported or quickly sold on again.
The scam has been highlighted by the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), and coincides with a special Auto Express investigation into the latest con tricks. An NCIS spokeswoman said: "Typically, gang members won"t identify themselves as Lithuanian, but pose as Scandinavian or western European. They target cars costing í‚á£10,000-í‚á£15,000. Sellers should only release a vehicle once a bankers" draft has cleared and the money is in their account."
People have been duped in Suffolk, Nottingham, Wiltshire, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire and London. However, a spokesman for the capital"s Metropolitan Police warned even waiting for the money to clear is no guarantee. "Once a bankers" draft has cleared, the cash will appear in the seller"s account, and he"ll be able to draw against it. But if the cheque is found to be stolen - which could be up to two weeks later - the funds will be withdrawn back out of the account."