A man using the name Giovanni Mellone has attempted to buy antiques from London dealers in December and early January.
The man has attempted to pass fraudulent cheques, drawn on Lloyds, Nat West, Halifax and Royal Bank of Scotland accounts, to Bourdon-Smith in Masons Yard, Piccadilly Arcade dealer Chris Martin-Zakheim of Iconastas and A. Pash and Sons of South Audley Street in Mayfair.
Bourdon-Smith and A. Pash and Sons both have pictures of the man, and an image of one of the fraudulent cheques can be seen at www.iconastas.com
Readers with any information should contact the Metropolitan Police Art and Antiques Unit on 020 7230 2150 or email ArtandAntiques-SCD6@met.pnn.police.uk, quoting crime reference number 6501375/10 and the LSAD reference 53030.
On January 8, a Regency convex mirror with eagle surmount was purchased from James Reeve Antiques (Quinneys of Warwick) by two men and two women using a stolen chequebook and false identification. The group had strong foreign accents.
David Hemming of Warwickshire Police is dealing with the incident. If you have any information, telephone 01926 451111 and ask for the crime desk, quoting incident reference number S/10/289.
