Con artists confuse shop staff (From Essex County Standard)
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Con artists confuse shop staff
9:00am Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News
Con artists confuse shop staff
CON artists managed to swindle hundreds of pounds out of a Colchester shop by confusing a shop assistant.
CCTV images have been released of three women who managed to bamboozle the member of staff from Peacocks, Priory Walk, Colchester, into handing over cash and refunds.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: “At around 4.45pm on February 20 three women bought three leather jackets worth just over £200 from Peacocks.
“The women then asked for a refund for the jackets and distracted and confused the sales assistant into refunding the cost of the items plus an extra £150.”
Anyone who can identify the women call PC Karen Mortimer at Colchester police station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments(16)
Citizen 139
says...
9:44am Tue 19 Mar 13
irememberwhen wrote:Looks that way.
Eastern European gypsies?
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
9:58am Tue 19 Mar 13
wormshero
says...
10:04am Tue 19 Mar 13
Got to wonder how they managed to confuse that much extra money out of a refund; surely that should be done on the till and therefore the amounts should be displayed on a screen for the store attendant?
co4
says...
10:44am Tue 19 Mar 13
Boris
says...
11:08am Tue 19 Mar 13
Don't jump to conclusions.
irememberwhen
says...
11:28am Tue 19 Mar 13
They are conning people out of money, end of story.
Ritchie_Hicks
says...
11:33am Tue 19 Mar 13
co4 wrote:Wow. That's some assumption. I hope you're not a copper.
Considering she looks like an Eastern European gypsy both in dress and skin tone then I think it's a fair assumption.
jammin
says...
12:24pm Tue 19 Mar 13
PC nonsense, Ive used my eyes to review what I can see and used my best judgement call. If I was asked to predict, I would say Eastern European (I would omit the Gypsie).
And Boris, what a ridiculous comment, your tiring.
wormshero
says...
12:55pm Tue 19 Mar 13
That doesn't work with people. Other groups of people dress in similar clothing for a start.
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
1:15pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Boris wrote:The words 'apparent' and 'jumping to conclusions' come to mind!
Three of you so far, displaying the same sort of racism that led to a boy's apparent suicide last week.
Don't jump to conclusions.
co4
says...
1:51pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Boris wrote:Considering the boys friends and family have stated he was bullied due to "wonky eyes", I find your reference to his suicide both crass and totally unfair. I'm surprised you managed to reach the keyboard of your computer from all the way up there on your high horse, Boris.
Three of you so far, displaying the same sort of racism that led to a boy's apparent suicide last week.
Don't jump to conclusions.
HARRY438
says...
3:41pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Bing Bong
says...
3:58pm Tue 19 Mar 13
But hey sorry for speaking, having an opinion and knowing something.
mirokou
says...
6:10pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Boris
says...
11:47pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Bing Bong wrote:Don't apologise, Bing Bong, just give the police your evidence and let's hope it helps them to catch the culprits.
I think you may find Boris that these individuals have been around Colchester before and have been seen before. And they are Romania and they are Gypsies.
But hey sorry for speaking, having an opinion and knowing something.
Obviously, every effort should be made to catch these criminals and put them behind bars.
Bing Bong, you seem to know them, but nobody else does, so that is why I asked them not to pre-judge the issue.
.
Back to the story, it seems these women used the classic tactic used to attack a clothing retailer. Go in there shortly before closing time, pick on an inexperienced-lookin
g staff member, and perform the trick as outlined in ther story.
Peacocks should copy Marks & Spencer, and make anyone wanting a refund go to a refunds counter, where specially-trained staff will refund only what the customer is entitled to, and will not be hoodwinked by trickery. If the shop is about to close, make the customer come back the next day.
irememberwhen says...
9:08am Tue 19 Mar 13