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Door to door scammers
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lette


Posts: 7
Joined: Feb 2007
Post: #1
28-07-2008 07:23 PM

Please be aware of some young girls (approximately mid teens) going door to door in the Perry Vale / Shipman rd area supposedly collecting for charity. They tried to tell me that they were from a school which was about to run a race and were collecting for a cancer charity but when pressed couldn't tell me where the race was taking place or how long the race was. They then tried to get me to part with the money before the event had taken place and I immediately sent them on their way.

If your unsure or this sounds familiar don't part with any cash

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Toffeejim


Posts: 84
Joined: Nov 2004
Post: #2
29-07-2008 01:10 PM

I had this happen last year. The girls were waving about an unconvincing looking photocopied sponsor form but were unable to answer even the most basic questions about the race. If they reappear I'll be phoning their school and/or their parents.

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baggydave


Posts: 390
Joined: May 2004
Post: #3
29-07-2008 11:20 PM

TJ, this is fraud, so you would be in your rights to carry out a citizen's arrest. Locking them up in your cellar is another issue.

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spud


Posts: 65
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #4
30-07-2008 10:46 AM

A chubby teenage boy tried to work this one on me, a couple of years back in the Honor Oak area. The crumpled sponsorship form that he presented had the blurry appearance of a second-generation photocopy, and sections of it seemed to have been crudely cut-and-pasted - that's literally, with scissors, rather than in Photoshop! There were spelling mistakes throughout. As a forgery, it was less than sophisticated.

I declined, but noted the address of the Camberwell primary school on the sponsorship form. When I phoned them, they had no knowledge of the race event. Inevitably.

I wonder how long people have been trying this scam in the area? Or even whether it's the same form being copied and adapted! Can anyone come up with an earlier example?

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blushingsnail


Posts: 371
Joined: Dec 2005
Post: #5
05-08-2008 04:19 PM

Found this on the Love Perry Vale site (from Councillor John Paschoud's report from the Safer Neighbourhood Ward panel):

" ... an alert from Sgt Philip Moore that some groups of young adults, usually operating 3 at a time, have been calling on vulnerable people in Kilmorie, Cranston and other roads in Perry Vale with some story about sponsoring them for something - with the apparent intent of committing some 'artifice burglary'. If they call on you, get the number of their car and report it to the Safer Neighbourhood Team on 020 8721 2480 or email: PerryVale.SNT@met.police.uk."

Anyone know what 'artifice burglary' is? Sounds more serious that just conning a couple of quid out of you for a non-existent sponsored event.

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Holly


Posts: 32
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #6
05-08-2008 04:35 PM

Artifice Burglary is just a fancy way of saying Distraction Burglary or Bogus Caller.

Which I think is definately worse than conning a couple of quid for a sponsorship form.

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