Pick-Pockets Out And About
15 December 2005
Shoppers are advised to protect themselves as best they can from pick-pockets operating in the Auckland region over the
past few weeks who Police believe may have got away with thousands of dollars from personal accounts.
Detective Sergeant Graham of Auckland City District's general fraud squad says he's investigating a number of complaints
where shoppers from throughout the region must have been observed entering their PIN numbers into Eftpos machines on
counters and minutes later have had their wallets stolen from their bag or person.
"It appears that, once the PIN number has been observed, the shoppers have their wallets and cards stolen," Mr Graham
says.
"Within a short period that person's account has been accessed by the thieves and the shopper is left out-of-pocket,
sometimes before they've even realised they've been robbed."
He says the complaints of theft have come from a range of people over the past few weeks but most have been elderly
women.
ENDS