Drogheda Penny Bank - SERIOUS WARNING

Biggins

A word of caution.

A certain group of people are currently targeting those collecting their money from the Penny bank's in Drogheda.
They grabbing some handbags having followed some people leaving after collecting their years savings.
They are also operating as a team. One will mark a bag with chalk (outside a church office collection point for example) so that another further down the road, in a shop with hustle and bustle, etc, can take advantage of and slip their hand in.
Although some are getting cheques, they are being followed to the bank to cash them and when then they come out, they are moved on.

There have been a number of reported handbags stolen today already in just one day.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL - if you know anyone that has a penny bank account - do them a favour, ask them to be cautious.
One church in Shop st, Drogheda already has had to hire outdoor security!

Darksaga87

Ive seen this myself toady, A woman my mother knows was walking around with an X on her jacket, she was told by the secruity guard to remove her jacket and go home imediatly as someone was for sure following her and was a target.

I personally have had to escort a few family members into town. some serious amount of knackers lurking around. You will know straight off they are on the game, they are standing around watching the banks and many of the shops with christmas shoppers.

Elderly people should be very carfull, any of you who have elderly realations, please take care and go with them.

Biggins

So far I've heard now of five cases of this happening just today.
If you see someone with what looks like chalk markings on their clothing, etc, do them a favour and point it out to them.
You might be saving them from having a very bad experience.

Trafford Lad

This is bloody awful...I worry sometimes about this town and where it is going. Scumbags.

andrew1977

Thank you for the valuable information folks, i have some elderly relations picking up their cheques , will make sure they are looked out for .

Biggins

andrew1977 wrote: »

Thank you for the valuable information folks, I have some elderly relations picking up their cheques, will make sure they are looked out for.

Good to hear. Fair play.

**Timbuk2**

Thanks for the warning! It sounds very low down of the criminals - it's disgusting how they target the elderly.

(This is Thread of the Day, btw)

Dingatron

Looks like they need to change the payment format to stop this happening. Can it not be transferred into bank accounts etc. Not knocking the penny banks btw its a great idea and sorts out Christmas for a lot of people.

CutzEr

Gee, thanks alot "The Real Hustle"

calex71

My mum was telling about this, when I was visiting home at the weekend.

Disgusting thing to happen, these poor folks in some cases putting by what little they have for xmas to buy stuff for santy or what ever.

I really hope the banks can do something for them in terms of the cheques maybe.

And that the Gardí round up this scum :mad:

Wertz

Biggins, have you contacted LMFM about this crime issue, and maybe help get the message out to people with no web access, or who garner much of their local info from radio?

They do a local news slot 3 times a day, a mid morning local affairs show every weekday morning and also have local gardaí on appealing for info on burglaries and such.
If these occurances are as common as what is being made out in this thread then the word really needs to get on the air....but so far I haven't heard any mention at all of the penny banks, marked targets or handbag snatches/related burglaries...since the gardaí seem to be aware of it, it's not just urban myth or xenophobic rumours...

Biggins

Wertz wrote: »

Biggins, have you contacted LMFM about this crime issue, and maybe help get the message out to people with no web access, or who garner much of their local info from radio?

They do a local news slot 3 times a day, a mid morning local affairs show every weekday morning and also have local gardaí on appealing for info on burglaries and such.
If these occurances are as common as what is being made out in this thread then the word really needs to get on the air....but so far I haven't heard any mention at all of the penny banks, marked targets or handbag snatches/related burglaries...since the gardaí seem to be aware of it, it's not just urban myth or xenophobic rumours...

The banks are warning all their customers. As some will note (the bank besides St Peters for example), some have hired extra security to observe and warn folk. They also keep an eye out for any chalk makings that might have been put on you entering or leaving. Keeping an eye out too for anyone watching (the doors of the places too to spot potential new victims).
Word has been getting around fast around town I'm glad to say. Everyone I've spoken to is deliberately (and going out of their way in) warning others.

mythicalireland

I have to say that this has all the hallmarks of an urban myth, especially the bit about X chalk marks on people's coats and "extra security staff" being hired.

Biggins

mythicalireland wrote: »

I have to say that this has all the hallmarks of an urban myth, especially the bit about X chalk marks on people's coats and "extra security staff" being hired.

I tell you what, you tell that to 5 people I know (and to Darksaga87's mothers friend) that were personally selected and marked - otherwise drop the insult on peoples integrity.

mythicalireland

I tell you what, you tell that to 5 people I know (and to Darksaga87's mothers friend) that were personally selected and marked - otherwise drop the insult on peoples integrity.

It's not intended as an insult on anyone's integrity. This story has all the hallmarks of an urban myth, just like the famous one about the kid being kidnapped in Scotch Hall and being found in the toilets with his hair cut. My own wife told me that a neighbour's sister's friend's son was the boy involved. The incident never happened.

However, that's not to say people are not being robbed of their penny bank savings. That is entirely possible. It's the bit about the X on the jacket and a "security guard" telling her to take it off and go home that sounds like a complete urban myth to me. Sorry if you are offended, but there is no offence intended.

Biggins

Ok, no probs then...

Sadly in this particular case, those doing it were very sharp and knew what they were doing. They were no amateurs.
I'm making an educated guess but part of their reasoning for operating this way might have been that they knew a lack of cameras beyond the bank premises might make their job easier, that being lifting people of their savings.
(why select people at random across a town when if they go to a place that on special days, is handing out large amounts of money, they can find more easier targets in one small area)

All they would have to do near to the collection points was point them out in some way (bump into them, brush up against them...) to others outside or in the locality.
If they were actually seen doing something such as "marking" a person, they would have been able to claim/brush it off as a one-off accident and there would be nothing solid to get them with.
Like I suspect, they were probably no amateurs.