Linden police have begun investigating a number of theft cases that are occurring in local grocery stores,
Linden Police Station communication officer Sergeant Takalani Sibiya said shoppers were being robbed of their personal belongings, which included handbags and jewellery. He added the suspects were said to be dressed up in the same uniform as employees of these grocery stores, and mostly target the elderly.
A victim alleged that she was shopping at one of the grocery stores when she was approached by two women who were wearing the store’s employee uniforms. The victim believed that she would be helped when the women approached her. “The two females asked for her handbag containing cash, bank cards, her cellphone and other items,” said Sibiya.
The suspects tried to convince the victim to hand over her handbag, as they claimed that if their manager saw her carrying a lovely handbag and an expensive cellphone, she might not get discounted for her shopping.
“That’s when the victim agreed to hand her bag over to the two ladies.” The two women disappeared with the victim’s handbag, and after a while when the victim could not find the women, she tried to call her cellphone but it went to voice mail.
Linden police are warning the community about this scam, especially the elderly. The police are appealing to the community to never give their personal belongings to anyone and not to trust everyone that they see in uniform at shopping centres, as most criminals are usually dressed in a ‘trustworthy’ disguise.
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