A NEW "sting" involving fake bankers' drafts has already claimed several victims in North Yorkshire, it was revealed today.

Police said fraudsters were scouring specialist magazines and websites, looking for expensive second-hand cars and motorbikes being advertised by their owners.

They then ring the owner and make an appointment to view the vehicle, usually late in the evening.

Detectives say the conman - sometimes working with an accomplice - then says he has a couple of other vehicles to look at and he will get back to the owner tomorrow.

He rings the owner the following day on his mobile, haggles a price, and then turns up with a forged NatWest or Royal Bank of Scotland banker's draft after the banks have closed.

The unsuspecting owner then pays the draft into his account - only to get a phone call from his bank a couple of days later, telling him it is counterfeit.

The scam has already claimed several victims in the Selby area and one in Whitby. Detectives from Selby CID, who have launched a North Yorkshire-wide investigation, say the con merchants and the drafts are very convincing.

Selby-based Detective Constable John Lintott said: "They are smartly dressed in designer clothes and appear to have loads of money, so people don't question their integrity.

"They appear to be from Eastern Europe and, after conning the vehicle from the owner, they try to sell them to reputable garage dealers for cash."

In one of the latest incidents, at Burn, near Selby, a man accepted a £4,950 NatWest banker's draft for a 1,000cc Yamaha sports bike.

Det Con Pete Masterman said: "A man rang the owner, who arranged for the buyer to view the bike at his parents' home.

"The man rang the following day, agreed a price, and then arrived at 8.30pm and handed over a banker's draft, before riding off on the bike. The draft wasn't worth the paper it was written on."

Police believe it could be the same conman who struck at Fairburn, near Selby, recently, after spotting a black Toyota Landcruiser for sale.

The fraudster gave the owner a fake NatWest banker's draft for £9,500.

In the Whitby scam, an owner advertised his car for sale on a specialist website and then received an email from a man claiming he was from Holland.

The victim, who was later sent a counterfeit Royal Bank of Scotland banker's draft, ended up £3,500 out of pocket.

Det Con Masterman said: "We're just scratching the surface at the moment. I rang NatWest's national fraud team and they told me they were investigating over 200 similar incidents.

"I would strongly advise owners to make sure that any banker's draft is legitimate before they hand over the vehicle."

Detective Sergeant Dave Pegg urged owners of expensive cars to get a tracking device fitted.

Updated: 10:33 Wednesday, July 14, 2004