Police have issued a warning about buying items on sites such as Facebook and Gumtree after a number of reported frauds across West Dunbartonshire. 

The advice from the Safer Communities department comes on the back of a small number of frauds reported by the Argyll and West Dunbartonshire police force.

A spokesperson advised: "When purchasing items through Marketplace sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, buyers run the risk of not receiving the items they pay for, either via non-delivery or by being delivered anything but what they pay for.

"Our advice is to use filters to narrow your search to the items available for local pick-up, and meet the seller in a public, well-lit, and visible location so you can examine the product before paying.

"If you must receive an item by mail, request a shipping tracking number and pay with a supported payment method such as PayPal or Facebook Checkout to protect your purchase."

For further information and advice on scams visit: http://ow.ly/2wwg50JguFw.