A MAN was duped by international fraudsters advertising lensless spectacles.
The unnamed man from Stanley, County Durham, sent £40 to a South African firm after seeing an advertisement in a Sunday newspaper.
The company claimed its glasses, with their multiple pin-hole design, would produce "wonderful improvements in vision" and banish eye strain.
The man sent a cheque for a pair, which never arrived, but shortly afterwards a fraudulent attempt was made to divert money from his bank to an account in the United Arab Emirates.
His bank became suspicious after an attempt was made to forge his signature and contacted him.
Durham Police, who have sent details of the incident to the National Criminal Intelligence Service, are warning people to beware.
Detective Inspector Colin Gibson, of the force's economic crime unit, said: "I am afraid the message is that if something looks too good to be true, it almost always is.
"You should be extra cautious if the company involved is from overseas."
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