A warning has been issued after scammers targeted a van driver selling his vehicle, leaving it with serious defects.

Officers are investigating a suspected car sale scam which took place in Stowmarket at the weekend.

At around 8.30pm on Sunday, three men turned up to view a van that had been put on sale in an online advert. 

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One of the men claimed to be a mechanic and the others said they were interested in purchasing the vehicle. 

The victim let the men have a short test drive and when they returned they asked him to lift the bonnet of the van to which they found there was oil on the engine and in the coolant.

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The men claimed this was due to a cracked cylinder block in the van and said they wanted to purchase the van at a significantly reduced price.

The victim refused this demand and the eventually group left before getting an AA service. 

AA mechanics confirmed oil had been put into the coolant, a sensor was disconnected and oil had also been thrown over the engine.

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Officers believe the group distracted the victim while they tampered with the vehicle.

A spokesman for the police said the engine of the vehicle was left with serious defects.

A police spokesman added: "Potential sellers of vehicles are asked to be mindful of who they invite to view their vehicles and monitor their actions at all times."

Sellers are also advised to retain all vehicle documentation such as log books/V5s prior to the transaction being completed.

Anyone with further information or has had similar experiences should contact the police quoting 37/45949/24.