con woman

[Jacbuc]

just to alert people to a scam we were unforutunate to experience last night. At 10.45 pm our door bell was rung by a woman who clearly sounded distressed. I never usually open the door to people I dont know but through the door she told me she was a neighbour from further up the road. As my partner was in I did open the door and she did a very convincing job of acting as she told me her electicity key needed topping up and she had no electricty at all - her children were in the car and she needed to catch a shop in nunhead before it closed. Her husband she assured me would be back later and let us have the money back. She told me the number of the house she lived in and pointed further back down the street - we live in waveney avenue just across peckham rye park. Because of her seeming distress I foolishly invited her into the hallway and gave her the ten pounds she had requested. It was only when she had left I realised that I knew the people who lived in the house number she had quoted and that Id been conned. I rang the police who said that its a very common scam at the moment and they did send a car out to see if they might be able to spot her. She was a black woman with short hair and about five foot 3, although from what I gather from the police it sounds as if its quite a common scam used by other people too.

[Speccylecci]

She claimed to be living at my address the other week (tried to scam a neighbour).

[Jacbuc]

Ithink it would be worth letting the police know if they have not already - it wasnt just the money, it was late at night and we are generally a friendly street, I didnt want a neighbour in that situation. However if Id been on my own or was elderly my situation would have been significantly more vunerable.

[SteveT]

Jacbuc wrote:- She was a black woman with short hair and about five foot 3, although from what I gather from the police it sounds as if its quite a common scam used by other people too.

Thank you for the warning Jacbuc fore warned is fore armed, I shall be listening out for the late night bell ring, with a cudgel hidden behind my back.;-)

[bli]

Sounds just like the woman who did same to my elderly mother who was visiting last summer. It was early one evening, and luckily I came home as my mum was going upstairs to get her wallet - leaving laptop etc in plain view downstairs with the woman peering around as I arrived. So it could have been worse - but nevertheless she was very persistent. This was near Dog Kennel Hill so she gets around...

[digitalronin]

The description fits a woman who rang my doorbell at 2am (Barry Road) and "borrowed" taxi fare off me after a sob story about a mother who'd just died in hospital on the other side of town.

[Jacbuc]

Its particularly sad that she seems to be playing the vunerable/distressed woman on her own to exploit peoples better nature - Since I posted it this morning another neighbour it transpired saw her last night as she left my house and recognised her as the same woman who conned her with exactly the same story, two years ago on Barry Road. She was also aware of someone else who had the same experience at the same time in Kinsale road - would you believe it she knocked on this womans door again a week later as if shed forgotten shed already done it.

She asks for what seems initially not an enormous amount but like bli wrote it could become alot worse as she gains access to peoples property. I suspect that as she takes not an enormous amount of money that most people dont report it to the police. However when I spoke with them they asked that instead of answering the door peole phone the police and if possible let them know the direction she goes off in and what shes wearing. Hopefully they will catch her as I do particularly worry about her affect on elderly people who may be living on their own.

[Asset]

she's been around for years, there is a thread about her somewhere on here already. She's outrageous! She came to me about 3 years ago with the same story.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Thank You for alerting everyone and an equally big thank you for a good description!

It never ceases to amaze and infuriate me of the number of people issuing valid and important warnings to a Neighbourhood but do not leave any description.

Well Done.

[bagpuss]

She sounds like the woman who rang my doorbell at 6! am last year. I too foolishly gave her the money. She was persistant and a good actress by all accounts. I felt stupid and wasnt part of the forum then.....

Fits the above description.

[Sue]

Jacbuc Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I

> suspect that as she takes not an enormous amount

> of money that most people dont report it to the

> police. However when I spoke with them they asked

> that instead of answering the door peole phone the

> police and if possible let them know the direction

> she goes off in and what shes wearing. Hopefully

> they will catch her as I do particularly worry

> about her affect on elderly people who may be

> living on their own.

xxxx

Erm, excuse my extreme dimness, but if you don't answer the door how do you know it's her?!

:-$

[Fiona A]

This happened to me three years ago when I was heavily pregnant. I too was conned and gave her ?10 and the minute I shut the door I realised I knew the people at the house she was talking about. The funny thing was a few weeks later she rang my doorbell at 10am on a Sunday morning and had a child with her, around 6 or 7 years old. I thought I was wrong about her as I thought she was going to give me my ?10 back. Oh no, she tried the same scam. She had completely forgotten she'd been at my house a few weeks before. I told her this and she denied coming to my house but never denied living down at the certain house.

[Jacbuc]

sue, if your like me then I dont usually answer the door directly at that time of night unless I know who it is - I asked who it was from behind the door and she gave me the story of her living on the street and the house number and the electricity key without my opening the door. Our front room overlooks the pathway to the door and its pretty easy to see people leaving the doorway. Id suggest people do the same - ask who it is without opening the door - if they get anything similar dont open it but if they can see which way she goes through a window let the police know

[totee]

She got me about 4 years ago! We are off Lordship Lane so shes moved a bit but not far

She is very good.

[andypandy]

We had a similar experience with a man claiming to need to get to the hospital for some reason and needed a taxi fare etc. At the time I was taken in and didn't actually have any cash to give him so I suggested that I drive him to the hospital. Funily enough he didn't take me up on my offer. I then realised that it was a scam. So in future perhaps call their bluff by not offering cash but something else, you will possibly soon see what's going on. But be careful, don't put yourself at risk....

[Jeremy]

Jacbuc Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> sue, if your like me then I dont usually answer

> the door directly at that time of night unless I

> know who it is

Very wise!

[alachlan]

Perhaps next time she calls round someone shoudl take a picture of her and print it up / post on here and local trees. That's what I wish I'd done a couple of years ago when I gave her some money in return for a phone as "deposit"... wihch was obviously stolen.

[clux]

she came knocking on my door last week!! it was about 6.30pm. i'm in nunhead- the queens road end. she said she needed ?7 to charge her electricity meter key as she was completely out of power. she was crying and i probably would have fallen for it but my husband was in and he's a lot more cynical than me! she said that she couldn't even heat her baby's bottle so he'd missed a feed - i told her to bring the bottle and i'd warm it up for her. and surprise surprise she didn't come back!!

[fractionater]

She's been doing it for years! - tried it on me (near Goose Green) about 3/4 years ago....told her to do one!

[monicaP]

Did the same to me a year ago- simple solution is to punch her in the nose and call the police.

[Asset]

And then get done for assault.

[Shaila Shah]

Had a similar encounter years ago...she needed a taxi to take her very ill father to Croydon. Why Croydon, when Kings College hospital was around the corner? Of course, no answer to that one. I offered to dial 999 for her and call an ambulance. But no, it was ?25 for a taxi or nothing! And so it was nothing...

[EDmummy]

Happened to mention this thread to a PC the other day and he said the lady was known to them but that he did not know she was active again. The lady has mental health problems and the PC said he would check out the posts on the Forum and take it from there.

[Crystal Tips]

Happened to me almost exactly the same a few weeks ago - I posted it on here - the more people that know about this kind of b@llocks the better

[Jacbuc]

this is all very helpful, I was amazed by the numbers of people that had the same experience by apparently the same person. I thought that by now the police should know who she is. I spoke with a community police officer on the phone yesterday and mentioned the numerous replies Id had on this site. Hes going to speak with me again on monday. She may have mental health problems but shes a damed good con artist. I agree too that the more people know about her the better. Ill update the site of any progress - thanks to everyone who has replied