WILTSHIRE Police are warning people to be aware of a distraction scam being carried out in the Salisbury area.
A woman begging for money has been approaching people, getting them to try on a gold-coloured chain and then removing it, normally at the victim’s insistence.
The victims later discover that necklaces they were wearing have been stolen and a worthless chain left behind in its place.
People wearing large gold necklaces have been particularly targeted.
The suspect is described as an Eastern European woman, about 45 to 50 years old, about 5ft 3in and of medium build.
She has dark hair tied in a bun with a scarf around it, is not believed to speak English and has been seen wearing a long black skirt, white top and multi-coloured shawl. She has a number of gold teeth and was wearing lots of yellow metal jewellery.
PC David Whitby said: “I would like to highlight this incident to help prevent others from becoming victims. We would advise anyone who is put in a similar situation or who sees people acting suspiciously to contact police. Our inquiries are ongoing to identify the suspect and we would appreciate anyone with information on her identity to come forward.”
Anyone with information can contact PC Whitby on 0845 408 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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