Confidence Tricksters in North London
Discussion
Question for the police officers and everyone else out there I suppose.
Live in Crouch End and have recenly moved flat from one street to another. Several months ago when I was out the doorbell went and my flatmate answered the door to a woman in a state of distress. Claimed she lived a couple of doors up and had just had a phone call that her niece had been in a terrible car crash and was in hospital in Enfield. Waterworks, hyperventiling, the whole shooting match. She was very convinging. Unfortunately her husband Steve wasn't around and she was wonderig if my flatmate happened to drive. He didn't and she got even worse and asked if there was any way she could borrow some money for a taxi. She gave him her address and swore she would bring it straight back when she returned. Being a mug, my flatmate handed over £20 (she had the cheek to ask him if he had any more).
Fast forward to tonight, sitting in new flat when the buzzer goes. "Hello?". Its a Mrs Williams in some distress. Explains she's the woman from next door and I've probably met her husband Steve before (notice the same name). She's in a terrible state, hyperventilating and close to tears. Can I possibly help her? She's just got a taxi baxk from her work in Enfield (location sound familiar??) and discovered that she's either lost or wallet and keys or someones stolen it, which would be teribble, etc. Unfortunately her husband isn't in and she doesn't know what to do, can I possobly lend her the money for the taxi. Fraid not love, don't have any cash on me.
Flatmate comes back later on and guess how similar our descriptions of her physical appearance are? Pretty similar.
Anyway, the question is, should I mention it to the police to try and benefit other people, or is it not worth it/will anything get done about it?
Live in Crouch End and have recenly moved flat from one street to another. Several months ago when I was out the doorbell went and my flatmate answered the door to a woman in a state of distress. Claimed she lived a couple of doors up and had just had a phone call that her niece had been in a terrible car crash and was in hospital in Enfield. Waterworks, hyperventiling, the whole shooting match. She was very convinging. Unfortunately her husband Steve wasn't around and she was wonderig if my flatmate happened to drive. He didn't and she got even worse and asked if there was any way she could borrow some money for a taxi. She gave him her address and swore she would bring it straight back when she returned. Being a mug, my flatmate handed over £20 (she had the cheek to ask him if he had any more).
Fast forward to tonight, sitting in new flat when the buzzer goes. "Hello?". Its a Mrs Williams in some distress. Explains she's the woman from next door and I've probably met her husband Steve before (notice the same name). She's in a terrible state, hyperventilating and close to tears. Can I possibly help her? She's just got a taxi baxk from her work in Enfield (location sound familiar??) and discovered that she's either lost or wallet and keys or someones stolen it, which would be teribble, etc. Unfortunately her husband isn't in and she doesn't know what to do, can I possobly lend her the money for the taxi. Fraid not love, don't have any cash on me.
Flatmate comes back later on and guess how similar our descriptions of her physical appearance are? Pretty similar.
Anyway, the question is, should I mention it to the police to try and benefit other people, or is it not worth it/will anything get done about it?
It depends on how many complaints the Police have had about her, which is probably none. She was obviously unlucky this time in that she would have been unaware that you had moved flat from an area she had 'done' to one she is now 'doing'.
Reporting it to the police is a start, but warning your neighbours is also a good idea. Word of mouth is a wonderful thing. If you tell 10 neighbours, and they in turn tell ten people, thats 100 people covered just like that. Then is she strikes them they are aware of her scam and tell the police...charged...court...shot (ok, so it's not a perfect world)
Reporting it to the police is a start, but warning your neighbours is also a good idea. Word of mouth is a wonderful thing. If you tell 10 neighbours, and they in turn tell ten people, thats 100 people covered just like that. Then is she strikes them they are aware of her scam and tell the police...charged...court...shot (ok, so it's not a perfect world)
I would report it to the local police station for two reasons:
1. She could be ripping off old folk for quite a lot of money.
2. It makes us all far more suspicious of helping people out.
An example, on New Years Eve I was driving to a party in Ealing when a woman got into the passenger seat of my car at some traffic lights. She was clearly upset and said her baby had had a fall at her sisters and needed to get to Acton, her mobile battery was dead and she didn't have any money. What could I do? My BIG fear was she would direct me down a dark street where there would be a gang of blokes ready to take my car and give me a hiding.
What actually happened is I took her about three miles, dropped her at a petrol station, as she requested, and she was so grateful, crying with appreciation.
Just balances things out a bit I suppose. Although I will be keeping my car locked from the inside in future so I can choose to let people in if I wish to.
1. She could be ripping off old folk for quite a lot of money.
2. It makes us all far more suspicious of helping people out.
An example, on New Years Eve I was driving to a party in Ealing when a woman got into the passenger seat of my car at some traffic lights. She was clearly upset and said her baby had had a fall at her sisters and needed to get to Acton, her mobile battery was dead and she didn't have any money. What could I do? My BIG fear was she would direct me down a dark street where there would be a gang of blokes ready to take my car and give me a hiding.
What actually happened is I took her about three miles, dropped her at a petrol station, as she requested, and she was so grateful, crying with appreciation.
Just balances things out a bit I suppose. Although I will be keeping my car locked from the inside in future so I can choose to let people in if I wish to.
Not quite the same but a similar idea:
from my local newspaper
First published on Tuesday 07 January 2003:
Conwoman's petrol cash scam
by Nigel Freedman
A woman has been trying to con good samaritans out of money by claiming she has run out of petrol.
She has been targeting people in the area around Hove station and Goldstone Villas, asking them to lend her £10.
The conwoman stops people in the street and tells them she needs to get home to Worthing but has run out of petrol.
She also says she has no cash on her and that she is having problems with her credit card.
A man reported that the woman had asked him for £10 for petrol at lunchtime on Friday.
She is white, aged 18, 5ft 7ins tall, slim with brown hair tied in a pony tail.
Inspector Mark Powles, based at Hove Police station said: "This petrol scam is being used more frequently.
"Anyone who is targeted should phone us immediately and not wait until later to report it to us."
from my local newspaper
First published on Tuesday 07 January 2003:
Conwoman's petrol cash scam
by Nigel Freedman
A woman has been trying to con good samaritans out of money by claiming she has run out of petrol.
She has been targeting people in the area around Hove station and Goldstone Villas, asking them to lend her £10.
The conwoman stops people in the street and tells them she needs to get home to Worthing but has run out of petrol.
She also says she has no cash on her and that she is having problems with her credit card.
A man reported that the woman had asked him for £10 for petrol at lunchtime on Friday.
She is white, aged 18, 5ft 7ins tall, slim with brown hair tied in a pony tail.
Inspector Mark Powles, based at Hove Police station said: "This petrol scam is being used more frequently.
"Anyone who is targeted should phone us immediately and not wait until later to report it to us."
Very amusing to observe the difference in reaction to this between here and the Seat forum..
We're a right bunch of cynical cold-hearted barstewards
keep it up chaps..
(Of course conversely, the Seat lot are obviously a bunch of saps easily parted from their wonga, but I guess we knew that from the cars they drive
)
Sorry Bri.. and Mungo.. oooooooonly joking..
>> Edited by CarZee (moderator) on Friday 10th January 10:53
We're a right bunch of cynical cold-hearted barstewards
keep it up chaps..
(Of course conversely, the Seat lot are obviously a bunch of saps easily parted from their wonga, but I guess we knew that from the cars they drive
) Sorry Bri.. and Mungo.. oooooooonly joking..
>> Edited by CarZee (moderator) on Friday 10th January 10:53
This happened to me in Surrey just before christmas, 2 pikey girls in a car (+ scrog) on about geting to staines (?) to see their 'really ill Dad in hospital with a heart attack). Got suspicious when I said I didn't ahve any cash (I didn't) and offered them a lift (less than 10 minutes) to the hospital.
When they refused a lift and asked for cash instead (20 quid for petrol I pointed out that only 5 quid would get them there....)
They got rather aggro and seemed to forget all about their plight and continually demanded money, until I reminded them they should be ashamed of themseleves and think about their poor father.
Obviously a scam, if they were really off to hospital they'd have been in the garage 200 yards away filling up with petrol and leaving something as security, not trying to blag repeated passers by out of 20 quid to fill up a battered nova. They were still there on the blag 2 hours later, so much for the urgent need to get to hospital....
When they refused a lift and asked for cash instead (20 quid for petrol I pointed out that only 5 quid would get them there....)
They got rather aggro and seemed to forget all about their plight and continually demanded money, until I reminded them they should be ashamed of themseleves and think about their poor father.
Obviously a scam, if they were really off to hospital they'd have been in the garage 200 yards away filling up with petrol and leaving something as security, not trying to blag repeated passers by out of 20 quid to fill up a battered nova. They were still there on the blag 2 hours later, so much for the urgent need to get to hospital....
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