A SCAMMER flogged a white van on eBay for £2,500 - then stole it back using his spare key.

Sly James Cosham told the trusting eBay buyer he only had one set of keys to the Ford Transit Tipper as he was being handed the cash.

3 James Cosham had sold the Ford Tipper Truck similar to the one pictured Credit: FORD

But when the new owner left work in Taunton, Somerset, he found that the truck had gone missing.

He alerted police and Cosham was eventually caught behind the wheel hundreds of miles away in the north of England.

Taunton Crown Court heard the conman staked out his victim, followed him to work and then stole back the truck using a spare key.

3 Cosham was jailed for six months at Taunton Crown Court after admitting theft Credit: Alamy

Timothy Hills, prosecuting, said: "When he was arrested he admitted that he had kept one set of keys so that he could take the vehicle away once again.

"The tipper was recovered by the police and returned to the victim."

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Cosham, originally from Eastbourne, East Sussex, admitted theft and was jailed for six months to run concurrently with his current sentence for a separate crime.

He appeared before Taunton Crown Court via video link from Elmley Prison, unrepresented by a barrister.

3 The conman sold the truck on eBay before stealing it back using the spare key Credit: ebay

Cosham told the court he "just wanted to get the sentencing over and done with".

He said: "I've got a wife and a child who are struggling without me.

"This has been hanging over me since it happened. I just want to get on with things now."

How to stay safe when using eBay: Check the seller’s feedback profile, particularly for items similar to the one you are interested in buying, and never send money via Western Union, MoneyGram or other less secure methods. Remember that eBay will never send buyers an invoice, we do not accept bank transfers, and we do not offer an "escrow" service (accepting payment on behalf of the seller). Look out for these warning signs: · Ads or sellers who ask for down-payments to “reserve” an item (particularly cars) – fraudsters have no intention of returning your down-payment. · Sellers who want to move the transaction from one platform to another (for example, from another site to eBay, or from eBay to a private sale). · Sellers who claim that eBay Vehicle Protection covers a car sale, or tell you to pay eBay who will pay the seller (‘escrow’). There are no services like this at all on eBay in the UK and any claim that we offer this service is fraudulent. · Sellers who push for speedy completion of the transaction and request payments via quick wire transfer payment systems. · Sellers who refuse to meet in person, or refuse to allow the buyer to physically inspect the vehicle before the purchase For more information visit: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/safetycentre/buyingwithconfidence/vehicle-tips.html.

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