Good samaritans caught out in fake designer jacket scam

Australians have been targeted by scammers claiming to be Italian nationals selling fake designer label jackets.

"I was gullible, I fell for it and I thought I was pretty smart but, I wasn't as smart as I thought I was," retiree Ian Sutton told A Current Affair reporter Pippa Bradshaw.

"I pulled $400 out of my wallet and then he asked me, he said 'oh do you have anymore'?" Ange Marinakis said.

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They thought they were getting the real deal, but Mr Sutton and Mr Marinakis now know they've been duped.

"Before I realised, I'd paid him the money and I had the bags in my hand," Mr Sutton said.

Mr Sutton considers himself pretty switched on, but he still can't believe he was fooled last month while working in the front garden of his Gold Coast home.

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"I was out there digging away with a big crowbar and all of a sudden I heard a 'beep beep' and I looked across the road and a car pulled up and a bloke was waving to me," he said.

Mr Sutton's home CCTV cameras captured him walking out to the man in the car who he said claimed he was lost and looking for the airport.

After giving him directions, Mr Sutton said the man then claimed he worked for Versace, a high-end fashion giant.

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"He said: 'I've been to David Jones and Grace Brothers, shown them all my stuff' and he said 'they've put their orders in and now I've got all this stuff leftover'," he said.

The man then offered to give Mr Sutton a leather jacket to thank him for his help – which the man claimed was worth thousands of dollars.

Mr Sutton then claimed the man asked for money.

With $550 on him at the time, Mr Sutton handed over the cash and walked away with four jackets.

But, it wasn't long before he realised he'd been scammed.

"I went on to Google and typed in 'leather jacket scam' and that's when I realised I had been had," Mr Sutton said.

Mr Marinakis reluctantly admits he was also conned while driving through Melbourne's inner city last year.

"I had these couple of guys, nice smooth good-looking young guys, pull up next to me and ask me for directions to the airport," he said.

Similarly to Mr Sutton, the men said they had been to a fashion show and had leftover Versace jackets they had to get rid of before getting on a plane to Italy.

After Mr Marinakis accepted the jackets, the request for payment started.

"The chap said 'oh look I want to buy something for my son at the airport and I don't have any cash'," Mr Marinakis said.

Mr Marinakis offered the $400 he had on him but was convinced to get out $500 more from a nearby ATM.

It was only when he got home, he realised it was all a scam.

Michael Manning was also duped into buying fake luxury jackets in Sydney mid last year by a man named Ciro Gallo.

"He's such a professional, he could sell ice to Eskimos," Mr Manning said.

Gallo pled guilty to three offences and was fined $5000 and ordered to pay compensation of $10,000 to his victims.

Mr Sutton and Mr Marinakis have both been to the police, but as yet, no one has been caught.

As for the jackets, Mr Marinakis admits he's quite fond of the fakes.

"I love them, you know I don't do shopping I thought this was a great shop," he said.

Despite this, he doesn't want anyone else to fall victim.

"What about the people they are doing it to who can't afford it?" he said.