Heads up - Shopping center car park scam in South Dub (and elsewhere no doubts)

kenco

Not scaremongering but just a warning to anyone with elderly parents, neighbors, etc

Stillorgan SC yesterday my Mother was putting stuff in to the boot and was approached by a woman with a kid wondering if parking was free or by the hour etc. Being reasonable she was helping out but later noticed her purse (in one of the shopping bags was gone). Seems like its a ongoing scam, i.e. distract the elderly person and who has probably been watched while someone else takes the wallet, purse, etc. Seems like its happening in a lot of open car parks and is particularly insidious as it targets elderly persons who are on their own. Security have it all on camera and the Guards are on to it but in the meantime I have one traumatized and embarrassed Mother...

So with all the usual caveats and 'she should have known' etc etc just let anyone you know who might be vulnerable to be on their guard and keep valuables on their person as opposed to 'in shopping bags, etc)

coylemj

Has happened on lots of occasions, usually as here in places with an outdoor car park. Another part of the scam is that they 'shoulder surf' at the checkout to see the person entering their PIN, then they pull that distraction stunt in the car park so now they have a credit/debit card and the PIN and you can guess what happens next.

So it's not the cash in the purse they're after, it's how much they can spend on the card before the victim notices it's gone and cancels it.

That's why I always use both hands when typing a PIN, makes it much harder to see the sequence of buttons I'm pressing.

rubadub

coylemj wrote: »

That's why I always use both hands when typing a PIN, makes it much harder to see the sequence of buttons I'm pressing.

I punch in fake numbers too, or rather pretend to press, I have several fingers on several buttons at once.

I know a guy who caught and and beat down a handbag thief in a supermarket car park, surprised there are not more stories of beatings TBH. Dunno what I would do if I caught one of these scumbags.

schemingbohemia

coylemj wrote: »

Has happened on lots of occasions, usually as here in places with an outdoor car park. Another part of the scam is that they 'shoulder surf' at the checkout to see the person entering their PIN, then they pull that distraction stunt in the car park so now they have a credit/debit card and the PIN and you can guess what happens next.

So it's not the cash in the purse they're after, it's how much they can spend on the card before the victim notices it's gone and cancels it.

That's why I always use both hands when typing a PIN, makes it much harder to see the sequence of buttons I'm pressing.

That happened my mother, she'd done her shopping in Lidl in Mullingar and a woman knocked on the passenger side window and got in the car in one movement with a large map asking for directions, then her "husband" knocked on the drivers side window asking my mother to explain directions to "Londonderry" and my mum's bank card, not even the wallet, was taken while she was talking to the man.
€3,000 down in a few hours, bank didn't want to know as she didn't protect her PIN!

Larbre34

All sorts of these scams very popular in Blanchardstown centre car parks, security is visible as a result. One of the most common M.O.s was for the scammers to arrive looking confused flailing about with a big map looking for directions. Tell your more vulnerable loved ones not to engage with anyone in a car park unless they are very sure of themselves and have the car locked behind them.