Telford shoppers warned to be vigilant
Shoppers in Telford are being warned to be vigilant after an elderly woman was conned out of hundreds of pounds by a distraction thief.
The victim - a woman aged in her 70's - had been to Sainsburys on Telford Forge Retail Park to pick up around £800 worth of New Zealand dollars when she was approached by an unknown man asking her for directions.
The woman put her handbag in the passenger foot well and assisted the man with directions. A few minutes later she got back into her car and discovered that her handbag was on the seat of the passenger side of her vehicle. The foreign currency and her bank card were missing.
Police are investigating the incident that happened at around 3pm on Wednesday.
A Telford Police spokeswoman said: "The woman was sat in her car and ready to leave when the man approached her with a map in his hand. The woman got out of her car and assisted the man.
"However, while she was helping the man another individual went into the woman's car and stole the foreign currency she had just picked up and her bank card. Her bank card was later used to withdraw £800.
"We would advise shoppers to be vigilant and to be weary of individuals distracting them away from their personal possessions such as their handbags, wallets and vehicles.
"Unfortunately incidents like these where people have produced maps and asked for help have happened before so we would urge people to be aware.
"We would like to remind people to be on their guard against this type of crime whenever they are out and about and to ensure that personal belongings are kept safe and within sight."
The man who approached the woman is described as white, around 40 years-old and of very stocky build. He was wearing dark clothing and a black cap and spoke with an Eastern European accent.
Anyone with information should contact Telford Police on 0300 333 3000 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.
