VIDEO: CCTV released after Derbyshire couple are conned out of £13,000

The unsuspecting couple only discovered the fraud when they sent off the documents they believed were genuine to the DVLA, only to be told the papers were fake and their car was actually a stolen vehicle.

The car involved, a white Kia Sportage, was stolen from Coventry on February 4. A few days later, the Derbyshire couple spotted it for sale on the Auto Trader website and arranged to travel down to Coventry to see the car on February 11.

A sale was agreed and the couple went to a Coventry branch of the Halifax with the two men who were selling the car to withdraw the cash.

PC Rob Morris, from Coventry’s vehicle crime team, said: “The couple checked out the paperwork and believed everything to be in order.

“They had the relevant V5 document, which they sent off as required and there appeared to be nothing wrong with the car, so they were devastated to find out a month later that their new car actually belonged to someone else.

“It turns out the Kia was on false plates and replica VIN plate stickers had been fitted to make the car appear genuine to the unsuspecting buyers.

“It was only when the DVLA received the paperwork that the con was revealed as they confirmed the documents were in fact fake.”

West Midlands Police are now appealing for help in identifying the two men. Both are white and believed to be from the Coventry area. One was 5ft 7in tall, in his mid to late 20s, with short messy brown hair and of stocky or muscular build. The other is around 5ft 8in tall, of large build with short cropped dark hair.

Anyone who can identify the men should call Coventry police vehicle crime team on 101 extension 7934 6271 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.