Police in Nantwich have warned residents to be on guard after revealing how an elderly couple had £2,000 stolen while out shopping at Sainsbury’s.
Officers told councillors at a Nantwich Town Council meeting that distraction thefts are likely to rise in the run up to Christmas.
And in the latest incident, they told how an elderly couple had been targeted at the town’s Sainsbury’s store on Middlewich Road.
Within 10 minutes of the theft taking place, £2,000 had been taken from their account.
PC Matt Stonier, of Nantwich Police, said: “Unfortunately, we do experience more distraction type thefts at this time of year.
“And it is often the more vulnerable and elderly who are targeted.
“Often in the lead up to Christmas elderly people have more money in their accounts for shopping and so on.
“The incident at Sainsbury’s shows how these thieves operate.
“We shall a far more visible presence around the town in the run up to Christmas, and will be working with shops to raise awareness of this sort of crime.”
Residents are advised to take extra care while using cash machines, or “holes in the wall”, and when inputting pin numbers at shop tills.
Thieves try to view pin numbers being inputted, and then distraction techniques minutes later to steal a purse or wallet.
Cheshire Police have offered this advice for people so they know what to look out for.
Anyone with information about distraction thefts can call Cheshire Police on 101.
Then thieves would just pose as security staff and the elderly especially would trust them more if they offered to help them. Then they would have easy access to pin number, card and cash. In-store as well as outside store is better with CCTV scanning area.
Maybe security staff should be positioned near the cash points.
Supermarkets should provide cash point access INSIDE their stores as well as outside like most banks do. I know they are handily placed near to the car parks for shoppers arriving by vehicle, but I am sure the more elderly, would feel more secure withdrawing cash inside the premises, where there are shop staff, and security staff. I am sure the vast majority would still use the outside cash points, but at least the provision of a cash point inside would provide a feeling of security for the elderly or vulnerable.
But there card was stolen in the distraction theft not their cash so this wouldn’t have stopped this theft at all.