2GB host Chris Smith falls for alleged leather jacket scam

Broadcaster Chris Smith has admitted on live radio that he was allegedly swindled out of $800 by an Italian national selling fake Versace leather jackets out of his car who has since been arrested and charged.

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2GB host Chris Smith has confessed he was one of multiple purchasers allegedly swindled by an Italian national selling fake Versace leather jackets in car parks across Sydney.

Smith, who hosts a nightly show on Sky News and 2GB’s weekend program, rang into the radio station on Friday morning to admit he had been allegedly scammed “big time”.

The broadcaster said he had allegedly paid $800 for “eight or nine” jackets after he was approached in Balmain as Smith waited in his car for his daughter to return from shopping.

“This bloke sucked me in big time … he was the most colourful Italian I’ve ever met,” Smith said on air.

Chris Smith says he fell victim to the alleged scam.

And his former 2GB colleague Ross Greenwood also claims he’s a victim.

“He wound down the window and asked which way to the airport and started to explain … I thought “hang on, I don’t know if this is a rip off, but (the jackets) were wrapped in packets with labels. I put my hands in to check them, they looked great.”

It comes as finance reporter Ross Greenwood confessed yesterday he too had allegedly fallen victim to a similar scam in Sutherland while leaving a function. It has not been alleged that this incident was related to Gallo.

Liverpool police Chief Superintendent Adam Whyte told 2GB police had received 42 new complaints yesterday after news of the alleged scam broke.

Ciro Gallo, 54, of Five Dock, was arrested on Wednesday after a string of seven incidents across western Sydney where he allegedly posed as a marketing director of luxury label Versace and sold fake leather jackets to locals in car parks.

The court heard Gallo had admitted to selling the jackets and had attended 11 Bunnings Warehouse locations up to 95 times and approached “vulnerable” patrons in an attempt to sell the counterfeit products from the back of a white Audi rental car, claiming they were genuine Versace items.

Ciro Gallo seen on CCTV footage after allegedly posing as a marketing director of luxury label Versace and fleecing people across western Sydney.

Some of the leather jackets seized by police.

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Gallo’s lawyer Trajko Skopelja denied his client was part of a “mafia style” international crime ring due to a lack of criminal group charges and said police investigators had “nothing to support the assertion” due to the amounts defrauded.

“If we were talking $5000, but we’re talking $200, $300 … it is hardly something that smells of a major crime organisation. Just because the applicant is Italian in background and wears nice clothes does not make it a mafia type thing,” Mr Skopelja said.

“While I accept the assertion attached … it’s a commercial dispute essentially.”

Gallo, who arrived in Australia from Italy on a tourist visa in February, is facing six charges of obtaining financial gain by deception and one charge of dealing with proceeds of crime and applied for bail in Liverpool Local Court on Thursday.

Gallo’s lawyer denied his client was part of an international crime ring.

He arrived in Australia from Italy on a tourist visa in February.

Police seized a further 22 fake jackets, cash and business cards from his Five Dock apartment.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Sam Shahrouk told the court officers found ten credit cards in his possession when Gallo was arrested in Revesby on Wednesday morning and found a further 22 fake Versace jackets, false business cards and cash when they searched his Five Dock apartment later that day.

Sgt Shahrouk also told Magistrate Abdul Karim the officer in charge of the investigation had said other people with “similar business cards” had been charged with “similar offences”.

“Police are concerned about the sheer volume of attempts to defraud the elderly,” Sgt Shahrouk said.

“It is suspected the accused is part of an international crime ring … he’s made calls interstate and sent money overseas.”

Ciro Gallo in police custody after he was arrested on June 3 following a string of seven alleged frauds involving the faux jackets.

Court documents alleged Gallo began his string of scams in February, selling some “cheap plastic” jackets for $800 in Moorebank before striking again at 11:54am on March 28, netting $200 for the faux products in the same suburb.

Gallo then allegedly swindled $300 in Rydalmere on April 7, sold $800 worth of fake jackets in Moorebank on May 8 and then obtained $1000 from back to back incidents in Casula and Miller on May 26.

At 11am on June 3 in Punchbowl he allegedly scammed another victim $500 before police were tipped off and he was arrested in Revesby.

Outside court, Liverpool Police Chief Superintendent Adam Whyte told The Daily Telegraph a 65-year-old man in Casula was one of “multiple” alleged victims.

Police claim Gallo struck up a conversation with the man in a Costco car park, “reeling him in” by offering the faux jackets for free before the man paid him $500.

“He would gain their confidence by general conversation and then try to offload his goods,” Supt Whyte alleged.

“If it’s too good to be true quite often it is.”

Magistrate Abdul-Karim denied Gallo bail and said the 54 year old’s tourist visa “doesn’t permit him to engage in commercial activity”.

“There is an unacceptable risk the applicant will commit further serious offences due to the number of items found,” he said.

Gallo will remain behind bars until he next fronts court on June 11.