A resident in Harlesden has issued a warning after she lost £60 by buying a smashed-up television set from a scammer in Neasden.

The victim was approached outside Tescos in Brent Park by a man who claimed he was selling new TVs from Currys at a knockdown price

He opened the Currys box and showed her the television inside that was packaged in bubble wrapping.

To add extra assurance he even showed her his driving licence and passport to confirm his identity.

However when she got home and took the TV out of the box she discovered it smashed and unable to work.

Issuing a warning she said: “If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.”

Last month police in Kilburn issued a warning after unsuspecting shoppers reported being duped into buying ‘iPhones and tablets’ for hundreds of pounds only to find the box was filled with fizzy drinks mimicking the exact weight of the goods they thought they were buying.

PC Tom Surr, neighbourhood police officer for Kilburn told the Times: “The general mantra should be if people approach you with an offer that’s too good to be true, then it probably is.

“If someone approaches you trying to sell you phones or tablets for cheaper than elsewhere, they are potentially a scammer.”