Police appeal after thefts
by Angela Cole
acole@thekmgroup.co.uk
Thieves took £1,000 from an elderly woman's bank account after
distracting her and taking her purse.
The incident happened in Maidstone when the 84-year-old woman
was putting shopping into her car in a supermarket car park on
Wednesday.
A man and a woman who engaged her in conversation, tried to
give her a £10 note, but after they left she checked and
her purse was missing. The money was later taken from her
account.
A similar incident happened in Tonbridge last month, when a
man with a map approached a woman and asked for directions to
Gatwick. She later found her handbag had been stolen from the
back seat of her car.
DC Mark Whewell-Jones from Kent Police said: “We don’t believe
these are opportunist thefts. The suspects appear to choose who
they will target and then discreetly watch them enter their PIN
numbers whilst paying for goods, and then use a distraction
technique to try and steal the card. We are examining CCTV footage
in relation to this incident, but would urge shoppers to shield the
keypad when entering their PIN numbers, and be conscious of being
distracted by unknown people. We also recommend the use of purse
chains, which connect the purse to the handbag and also suggest
people keep valuables in inside coat pockets.”
Officers have urged people to take care of their valuables.
including not leaving them on show in your vehicle and to
never leave your vehicle unsecure.
Anyone with any information on the two incidents should
call police on 101.
07/12/12
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