A Birchington pensioner is warning others after he was conned by a man using counterfeit £50 notes.
Gerry Collis, 89, raises money for charity through garage sales at his home.
He raised thousands of pounds for the Kent Air Ambulance, when he was captain of Westgate and Birchington Golf Club, and decided to continue fundraising independently.
But this month he was left out of pocket after a man used fake notes to buy two bikes.
Gerry said: “He asked me how much the bikes were and I said £50 for the two. He said he only wanted one and would give me £30 but he had a £50 note so I gave him £20 change.
“He walked away but then came back and said he wanted the other one but he wanted change and gave me another £50 and I gave him £30 change. He said a woman called Jean would come the next day and pick up the bikes but of course she never came.
“Then I heard he had been all over Thanet and there was a CCTV picture.”
Gerry has been raising money for charities including East Kent Hospitals Charity and Cancer Research.
A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Kent Police is investigating a report of fraud in which counterfeit £50 notes were used to pay for goods in Canterbury Road, Birchington, during the early evening of 2 August 2024.
Officers have spoken to the victim and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information or CCTV footage regarding the fraud should contact Kent Police on 01843 222289 quoting 46/141382/24.”
Kent Police also received a report that a counterfeit £50 note was used to pay for goods at a shop in Northdown Road, Cliftonville, at around 4pm on the same day.
The investigation into that incident is also ongoing, and anyone with information regarding the incident can contact Kent Police on 01843 222289 quoting 46/130916/24.
