£14k Stolen After Thieves Spy on PIN.

1 July 2010, 06:00

A woman's had £14,000 taken from her bank after thieves watched her enter her pin number at Waitrose in Woodley.

It happened as she paid for her shopping on 22 June.

PC Graham Holdsworth, from Loddon Valley police station, said:

“The suspects have ‘shoulder surfed’ the victim in the store and observed her PIN code.

“They deliberately waited for a victim and then at around 2.30pm, followed her vehicle home to Loddon Bridge Road, distracting the lady by asking for directions to London. They then stole the card from her car and spent money in another part of the country. In this case £14,000 has been taken.

“Intelligence shows that the group have operated in Staffordshire, North Yorkshire and the West Midlands also.

“I would urge people to be diligent during transactions and keep the keypad covered while entering their PIN."

Police would be keen to hear from anyone who may have information about this crime, or who recognises the people shown in the CCTV photos.

Officers are interested in speaking to the man shown in the white shirt in the photos below, and the woman in the white blouse in the foreground of the third photo (top right).

Anyone with information about this should contact PC Holdsworth on 0845 8 505 505 or if you don't want to speak to police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.