A Cameroonian confessed to conspiring to take part in a black money scam in which gullible victims are led to believe black paper can be turned into hard cash.

Jean Blaise Tadoum, 41, was found with items used in the scheme after the police were tipped off about him.

The scam involved dousing black paper in iodine then placing it into a bag which, unbeknown to the victims, already contained a €50 euro bank note.

This is extracted to give the impression that the black paper had, in fact, turned into real money.

More black paper would then be offered in return for a large amount of cash.

Magistrate Francesco De­pasquale handed down a six-month jail term suspended for four years.

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