The lure of low prices is hard to resist for some, and people ready to take advantage of this are always on hand.

Recently, a Tauranga man was conned out of $1200 after falling victim to the ‘white van speaker scam'.

People are being warned to think twice about buying items off people that aren't licensed retailers.

The local man, who has asked to remain anonymous, says he was duped by two men selling home audio equipment out of the back of their white van in the Mega Mitre 10 carpark on Cameron Road last week.

The man took the equipment home, only to later find out he had been scammed.

Tauranga Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross says sales of this nature have been around for a number of years.

'People are unfortunately still finding the lure of low prices too hard to resist,” says Rob, 'and they are paying a higher price in the long term.

'If something of high spec is being sold cheaply you should question its authenticity. In most cases, if something sounds too good to be true it probably is, and it could be an indicator that the item is either defective, stolen or simply not what it claims to be.”

'When you are buying any product, particularly an electronic item, it is important to do some research. Check out reviews on the internet, find out what you would expect to pay and whether there are any reported scams involving the purchase.

'If it doesn't feel right, don't buy it. Electronic items being sold from the back of a van in a random location should send warning bells to any buyer.

'We advise all purchases are made from established retailers where the buyer has some protection and recourse should the goods turn out to be faulty or unsatisfactory.”