A CONMAN gave a woman £340 in fake notes for her iPhone – then taunted her in a text when she demanded he return with real cash.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said she put the device for sale on the website Gumtree.
A man called her saying he would come to her Beechdale home to buy it.
But after he left, the 40-year-old realised she had been tricked with fake £20 notes.
Furious, she texted the mobile number he had called her on: "I will have last laugh, you scammed the wrong person!"
But he had already sold it on for cash, the conman claimed.
He texted back: "Sold it love, thanks for that £300."
The distraught victim, who is disabled said: "I just sobbed when I realised what had happened, I could not believe it. The police told me this has been happening to other people."
The woman is now asking people to look out for the phone and the conman.
Her device is a white iPhone 5 16 gigabyte model with the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number 013627005342444 – most smartphones display their IMEI when *#06# is typed into the keypad.
The conman is described as white, slim and in his late teens to early twenties, with short, cropped hair, and a blue sports rain jacket with a hood.
He gave the cash to the woman's carer while she was in another room in her house.
The carer, who also asked not to be identified, said: "He shook my hand, gave me the money, said 'thanks for doing business with me', and left.
"We were absolutely gutted when we realised soon after that he had handed over fakes."
The carer and the woman spotted the notes were "too smooth" and then saw they all had the same serial number.
Police say they are investigating the incident.
A force spokeswoman asked people to be on the lookout for more fake notes.
"People should check for the watermarks, holograms and metallic threads on any bank notes. If in any doubt refuse the sale" she said.
She also added people should take care when arranging to meet someone after an online sale – arranging to meet at a busy public place and taking someone they know with them.
"Trust your gut. If you have any doubts, don't trade with them," she added.
