A SWITCHED-on postmaster saved her business from losing hundreds of pounds after she was targeted by a young fraudster.

Marianne Livesey, the owner of Barrow’s Salthouse Post Office and Mill Lane Post Office on Walney, prevented a teenage fraudster from conning her business out of £300 when he attempted to trade six counterfeit Scottish £50 notes for Euros.

In two separate incidents a boy, believed to be around 12 years old, went into Mill Lane Post Office at around 1.45pm on Wednesday trying to exchange three fake Scottish £50 notes.

Mrs Livesey said: “Thankfully due to our experience we could tell they were fake just from the feel of them.

“We told him we couldn’t accept these and therefore impounded them. He responded saying ‘sorry I will go tell my nan’.”

Mrs Livesey said the boy then tried the exact same thing at Salthouse Post Office at around 2.30pm the same day.

“If I had taken them I would have been short of £300," she said.

"I also heard that two other Post Offices had been targeted the same morning and on one occasion he was successful. I would urge any traders that if they are in doubt to simply refuse it.”

The boy has been described as a white male, 5ft, wearing a dark black/ green cap, blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a converse sign on.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police are aware of an individual in the area who is trying to use counterfeit Scottish £50 notes, in one case he has tried to exchange for Euros. We have CCTV footage of a suspect and we are making enquiries in relation to it.”