A south-west business has been targeted by a wanted man purporting to be selling liquidated electrical goods that never arrive.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Port Campbell Fuel owner Tori Ziegelaar said he was contacted by a man named Jamie Walsh offering goods such as televisions and white goods for sale.
"The man said he was from Port Campbell, that he had been into the petrol station a few times and that I would know him," Mr Ziegelaar said.
"He told me his uncle Michael Walsh was going into liquidation and he had some brand new TVs and commercial fridges still in the boxes for sale. I said how much and he said $500 for a fridge and $800 for an 85-inch TV.
"He said he needed to know if I was interested as soon as possible because he would bring them from Seymour. I said I would be looking at two TVs and a couple of fridges and he said he would quickly speak with my uncle.
"He came back to me and said it was all fine, he would just need $600 deposited into his bank account. I said I would call him back in a minute, I look up his name and found that he had used that same system in 2013 and 2014 to scam a heap of businesses. He would get the money, withdraw it and then throw away his sim card.
"Some of the searches I did showed he had 14 bank accounts at that time."
Mr Ziegelaar said he reported the incident to police immediately.
He said he lied to the conman, telling him he had transferred the $600.
"The man said he would give me a call just before he arrived with the goods and I haven't heard back from him since."
A Port Campbell police spokesman said he had contacted police in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
"There are a number of interstate warrants for this man's arrest," he said.
"He is a very well-known con artist. Fortunately Mr Ziegelaar did not fall for his scam but there is every chance that he could target vulnerable members of the community.
"It's important that the community is aware of these sorts of calls and they remain vigilant."
It is believed the offender's real name is Michael James Walsh but he is known to go by different aliases.
Anyone with information should contact Port Campbell police on 5598 6310 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.