LOCAL residents selling items on the internet are being warned by police not to part with goods until payment has been received after a Rubery man fell victim to a scam.

The man sold a mobile phone on eBay for £200, then received an email from the buyer saying that once the tracking number from the parcel was known the funds would be released. He sent it out via recorded delivery, but later realised he had been a victim of fraud.

A police spokesman said: “People are warned to exercise caution when buying and selling goods over the internet as there are literally hundreds of different scams.The bottom line is not to part with goods until payment has been received and funds have cleared.”