Conman hooks shop owner

A CONMAN has swindled the owner of a new Cranbourne bait and tackle shop just a week before the store’s grand opening.
Alan Swain was left high and dry after paying $1500 for promotional merchandise for his shop, Anglers Cove, that he never saw.
Mr Swain said the nightmare began when a young man claiming to be selling sunglasses approached him in his shop.
“He came to the store and said I had contacted him a couple of weeks previously about buying sunglasses,” he said.
“I vaguely recalled inquiring about the glasses and he knew me by name, so I listened to what he had to say.
“He told me he could do a promotion for me for the store’s opening the following week.”
Mr Swain said the man offered to supply him with two new BMX bikes, sunglasses and other items to be used as giveaways at the store’s grand opening.
He said the man carried professional business cards, had a friendly demeanour and appeared legitimate.
“He even had the nerve to visit my home and do his spiel to my wife,” he said. “He seemed professional and we both thought it would be a great promotion.
“We paid cash up front because he said it would cost twice as much to go through the books. We were trying to save every penny for the shop.”
However the scheduled delivery date came, but the goods did not arrive.
“He left the sunglasses with us, but the other items were supposed to be delivered a couple of days later,” he said.
“I called his number three times on the Wednesday, but there was no answer. It was then that I knew something wasn’t right.
Mr Swain said he looked on the website and it stated the man’s business had been insolvent for two years.
“We’d been burnt,” he said.
Mr Swain said he contacted police, but was unable to recover his lost money.
Cranbourne police are investigating.