We’re part of the local Neighbourhood Watch scheme. It’s pretty good and gives you a reason for being generally nosey. The Police send you information on anything happening by email and recently we were informed about several scams by “Eastern Europeans” in the local area. One involved people asking for the time in supermarket car-parks (after watching someone entering their PIN number at the checkouts) and then stealing their debit / credit card.
The other involved people getting flagged down by “stranded” motorists needing fuel. They don’t have money, but instead offer you gold in exchange for a tank of fuel.
The gold is, of course, rubbish, and you lose out on about 70 quid after filling their tank or handing over cash. Today the Police arrested one of these gangs / con-artists locally. They sent us an email about it and I just love the write-up….
We have recently alerted you to numerous incidents involving motorists being flagged down by apparently stranded drivers, who claim to have run out of petrol and offering ‘gold’ in exchange for cash. Following yet another incident, police have located the car, with 4 Eastern European occupants. They have been arrested, the car siezed, and aquantity of ‘gold’ jewellery, cash, and a tin of brasso recovered.
There will no doubt be others carrying out this scam, and we urge you to continue to be alert and to report any such incidents immediately.
Loving that. A tin of brasso.
Be careful out there people.