AN ELDERLY woman was targeted by a thief who posed as a Good Samaritan before stealing money from her.
The victim, who is in her 80s, was in the Sainsbury’s car park in Northwich at 11.30am on New Year’s Eve when the stranger, who had a foreign accent, approached her and asked for £1 to get a shopping trolley.
He then helped her load her shopping into the boot of her car. The woman dropped her purse, which the thief picked up and returned to her before bidding her a Happy New Year and walking off.
The victim then discovered one of her debit cards had been stolen and later found £100 was missing from her account.
A police spokesman said: “The victim had earlier taken money out at a cashpoint so it is possible the man watched her put her pin code in and then specifically targeted her.”
The offender, who is white, is described as “tall”, and thought be aged between 30 and 40. He was wearing a woolly hat.
Insp Pete Minghella, head of policing in Northwich, warned cash machine users to be on their guard and to be aware of who is standing near them while they withdraw money.
“It’s important to keep an eye out for anyone standing nearby or acting in a suspicious way,” he said.
“If someone is crowding or watching you, cancel the transaction. And do not accept help from strangers or allow yourself to be distracted.
“Once you have completed a transaction, discreetly put your money and card away before leaving the machine.”
