Brazen 'conman' caught on CCTV 'tricking pawnbroker into buying fake gold' shown on video hitting another jewellers with same scam with 'pharaoh head pendants' just months earlier

A 'gold swap hustler' caught on CCTV tricking a pawnbroker into buying fake gold has been shown striking at a different jewellers using a similar con months earlier.

Footage has emerged of the smartly-dressed suspect targeting Ashley Adams Jewellers, in Hailsham, East Sussex, on April 11 when he swapped a bag containing 18 carat gold pendants for one with 'two lumps of brass' at the cost of £1,100.

Two months later he was filmed targeting Paul Wood, 58, at his shop 230 miles away in Stoke-on-Trent where he swapped a bag of real gold for fake bullion and escaped with £1,765.

On both occasions, his slight of hand was caught on CCTV.

In blink-and-you-miss-it footage from April, he can be seen holding his phone before switching the bags as he flips his mobile between his left and right hand.

The suspect left the Hailsham jewellers before the store owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, realised she had been conned when she got to the back office and opened the bag.

She said: 'This man came in and offered to sell me a couple of pharaoh head pendants.

'I had a look at them and confirmed they were 18ct after doing a machine and acid test and agreed to pay him £1,100.

'It was a similar technique but he used a sort of net bag, he takes it in his right hand and gives it back to me with his left and I ended up with two lumps of brass.

'I noticed almost immediately once I'd walked into the back office as the little gauze bag was tied very tightly, too tightly.

'I called 999 in case officers were in the area but nothing ever came of it.

'The next day I had an email from Safergems, which is a crime initiative in the jewellery industry, to say he had struck elsewhere.

'If I'd only had that email the day before it might have been a different outcome.

'But I hate looking back at the footage as it's so obvious what happens, and how he does it. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.'

A Sussex Police spokesperson said in an appeal at the time: 'Can you help us identify this person?

'We'd like to speak to them in connection with a fraudulent transaction at a jewellers in Hailsham on 11 April.

'Report it online or call 101 if you can help, quoting crime reference 47240067964.'

Businessman Paul told this week of how the fraudster managed to trick him into parting with more than £1,700 for a bag of fake gold on June 20.

The man was with a female accomplice when he came to the Stoke pawn shop wanting to sell 9-carat gold, which Paul examined and confirmed was genuine.

After managing to switch the bags, the pair fled the scene with the money from Church Street Gold Pottery and Furniture.

Paul, from Stoke-on-Trent, told MailOnline: 'I just felt a bit stupid about the whole thing when I watched the camera back.'

Explaining the incident, he said: 'It was last Thursday and this man and woman came in to say they wanted to sell some gold. They were Eastern European I think and well presented and smartly dressed and they seemed genuine enough.

'They handed over this gold which I weighed and checked as I normally would and we agreed on a price of £1,765 after confirming it was 9-carat gold.

'He had the gold in this blue velvet bag and he kept on trying to put it back in there while I was trying to weigh it and I had to keep telling him 'I don't want your bag'.

'And this back and forth kept on as he kept on putting the gold back in the bag and he was just trying to bamboozle me.

'They then said they had some more gold, but I looked at that too and thought it didn't look right, so I said I wouldn't be buying it.

'Then they've somehow swapped the bag of real gold for the bag of the tat, which he had tied up really tightly.

'I knew something was strange when he threw the bag behind the counter but when he made his way to the front door, they wanted to look at something else in the window.

'They were engaging in conversation and just kept me talking.

'In the back of mind I'm thinking they would have done a runner by now if they weren't genuine but I still need to go back and double check that bag.

'But then they did bolt off quite suddenly. I ran straight back to the bag and had to cut it open with a knife because he had tied it so tightly.

'All this fake gold came pouring out of the bag so I legged it out of the shop and down the street - but they were long gone.

'Looking back I felt quite silly as I'm usually so careful. But they were in the shop for about 20 minutes and I never took my eyes off him.

'I watched him and somehow he managed to pull the wool over my eyes, I don't know how he has done it. It was quite a professional job.'

Paul, who has owned the shop for 18 years, was then told by police it would be six weeks before an officer could come out or he could attend a station in person.

He slammed Staffordshire Police's response and believes the daring crooks could strike again elsewhere due to their lack of action.

The force has confirmed they are now hunting the suspects and urged any witnesses to get in touch.

He added: 'I dialled 999 straight away but they told me to call 101 which took an hour to get through to.

'I was then told I would have to wait six weeks for an officer to visit or I could book an appointment to come to a police station.

'I thought time would be of the essence in terms of catching them so I was quite surprised by their response.

'I told police I've got them on all angles on crystal-clear CCTV and they just told me to bring it to a police station and they'd take a statement.

'I think the police have given up, there's not enough police and I do feel sorry for them because they're not getting help.

'But criminals are getting away with things because the police are too busy and something needs to be done.'

A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said: 'We are investigating following reports of fake gold being used in exchange for cash.

'A man and a woman came into Church Street Gold to exchange gold for cash. In-between the transaction, the suspects swapped the gold for fakes and left the store.

'The man is described as being of a large build with black hair shaved at the side, a black goatee beard, and was wearing a suit.

'The woman is also of a large build, was wearing a matching suit, had long straight dark hair that was tied back, and white trainers that had a red heel.'

Any witnesses are asked to call police on 101, quoting incident number 396 of June 20, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.