Camera fraud bid thwarted

A MAN trying to buy camera equipment worth £2600 with bogus credit cards was foiled by suspicious staff, a court heard.

Staff in the shop had been warned of counterfeit cards and alerted police.

Their suspicions proved well-founded and police found Marius Moldovan in possession of four counterfeit cards.

Moldovan, 25, of Hay Lane, London, had pleaded guilty previously to being in possession of three HSBC Visa cards and a City Bank Visa card, all counterfeit, at Jessops in Shandwick Place on November 17 last year.

He told the police he had bought the cards for 200 each from a man in London.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday Moldovan was placed on probation for 12 months and ordered to perform 150 hours of Community Service.