A 'gold swap hustler' caught on CCTV tricking a pawnbroker into buying fake gold struck previously at a different jewellers using a similar con, it has emerged. <br /><br />The suspect was filmed targeting Paul Wood, 58, at his shop in Stoke-on-Trent where he swapped a bag of real gold for fake bullion and escaped with £1,765.<br /><br />Two months earlier, the same smartly-dressed man swooped at Ashley Adams Jewellers, in Hailsham, East Sussex, on April 11 - 230 miles away.<br /><br />Using a similar technique, he first pretended to be selling some gold pendants to the store owner who agreed to pay him £1,100 after inspecting the jewellery. <br /><br />The man then managed to swap the bag containing 18ct gold to one with "two lumps of brass" inside using sleight of hand in a move again captured on CCTV.<br /><br />In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, he can be seen holding his phone before switching the bags as he flips his mobile between his left and right hand. <br /><br />He then left the 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.<br /><br />She said: "This man came in and offered to sell me a couple of pharaoh head pendants.<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />"I noticed almost immediately once I'd walked into the back office as the little gauze bag was tied very tightly, too tightly.<br /><br />"I called 999 in case officers were in the area but nothing ever came of it.<br /><br />"The next day I had an email from Safergems, which is a crime initiative in the jewellery industry, to say he had struck elsewhere.<br /><br />"If I'd only had that email the day before it might have been a different outcome.<br /><br />"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."<br /><br />A Sussex Police spokesperson said: "Police were called to a report of fraud at a jewellers, High Street, Hailsham on 11 April at around 2.45pm.<br /><br />"Officers are investigating the incident.<br /><br />"Witnesses or anyone with any information or footage is asked to contact police online or call 101 quoting serial 763 of 11/04."<br /><br />Businessman Paul told last week how the fraudster managed to trick him into parting with more than £1,700 for a bag of fake gold last Thursday (20/6).<br /><br />The man was with a female accomplice when he came in wanting to sell 9-carat gold, which Paul examined and confirmed was genuine.<br /><br />After managing to switch the bags, the pair then fled the scene with the money from Church Street Gold Pottery and Furniture.<br /><br />Paul, from Stoke-on-Trent, said: "They were Eastern European I think and well presented and smartly dressed and they seemed genuine enough.
