North Wales Police are warning petrol station owners and employees to be vigilant after two forecourt stores lost substantial amounts of stock in a complex scam.

A petrol station on London Road, Valley, was targeted most recently and a forecourt in the Wrexham area is believed to have also been a victim.

The scam begins with a fraudster, purporting to be an area manager of a franchise, asking employees to send pump meter printouts to management via a mobile phone number. They then ask for stock details, and request that the stock be transferred to other branches. The callers then use local taxi companies to transport the stock.

Area support sergeant for Anglesey, Ian Roberts, said: "This is clearly a well-organised scam that targeted a local business.  Financially, the loss is considerable to the victim and we are urging other retailers to be aware of any suspicious calls.

"I would encourage forecourt staff to challenge any suspicious calls and, if needed, to call representatives back on authorised telephone numbers. If persons attend forecourts and assert they are management, suitable ID checks should be carried out. Taxi and courier companies should be aware if a request to transport goods from petrol stations is received."