A DARWEN firm was a primary target by fraudsters running a credit card cloning scam, according to Trading Standards.

Investigations have now been launched after foiled attempts to defraud Babywise Mattress Factory, Almond Street, out of £3,000.

Peter and Kathy Cunliffe, of Babywise, said the attempted scam began in April when a man calling himself Carl Jones of Wales emailed about buying a mattress.

Mrs. Cunliffe, of Hoddlesden, said, “I directed him to our website and then he came back asking for first 10 and then 100 mattresses for his company in Ghana, West Africa, saying he would arrange for his own shipping company to pick them up.

“We have sold abroad and people have sent their own couriers so it didn't seem out of the ordinary.”

Officers believe a large-scale criminal gang was behind the incident.

She said: “He sent details of two credit cards in an email, which you just don't do, and asked me to split the cost of the mattresses and the shipping between the two.

“I checked the cards with Mastercard and they were both cloned cards and the address he gave turned out to be a fork lift truck company in Newport who had never heard of Carl Jones.”