BUSINESSES in Tamworth are being urged to ask customers to remove hooded jumpers and sunglasses as police fight the rising tide of paywave fraud.
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Offenders, some as young as 12, are using stolen credit and bank cards to fraudulently obtain goods from local shops, but they’re getting off because they cannot be identified on CCTV.
Paywave technology means crooks are hitting homes and cars to steal cards and then using them almost instantly to buy alcohol, cigarettes, lollies, food and other goods – and in some cases, making multiple transactions under $100 in minutes without any questioning from shop staff.
“There is no excuse for having a hoodie covering their face and it’s not sunny in these business premises, especially at night, so they don’t need to wear them, but they do to conceal their identity,” Oxley Detective Acting Inspector Jason Darcy told The Leader.
There is no excuse for having a hoodie covering their face and it’s not sunny in these business premises, especially at night, so they don’t need to wear them, but they do to conceal their identity.
- Oxley Detective Acting Inspector Jason Darcy
“These criminals are doing it on purpose to avoid detection.”
Oxley police are urging service station staff, late-night operators, supermarkets and local employees to be vigilant and ask them to remove their disguises.
“We’re asking businesses, put up a sign warning customers they won’t be served if they don’t remove hooded jumpers and hats and sunglasses, and ask them to take them off when they are serving them,” Detective Acting Inspector Darcy said.
We’re asking businesses, put up a sign warning customers they won’t be served if they don’t remove hooded jumpers and hats and sunglasses, and ask them to take them off when they are serving them.
- Oxley Detective Acting Inspector Jason Darcy
“These businesses have CCTV in their premises but unless they ask these customers to remove their disguises, then police can’t identify them.”
Police said often victims were discovering their wallets or cards had been stolen from their home or cars when they wake of a morning, or if they return home from work, meaning the crooks have had a jump before they can cancel their cards.
“We have had reports of cars and houses being broken into and these offenders are grabbing credit cards and they’re going straight to service stations and supermarkets with their hoodies on and sunglasses, and paywaving, and they move quickly,” Detective Acting Inspector Darcy said.
“They’re deliberately disguising themselves in the middle of the night and attendants and shop staff are serving them.
“They should be suspicious of these people, at anytime, especially when they make multiple transactions under the $100 limit.
“This is also for their own safety, we’ve had armed robberies at service stations in recent times, and we need CCTV to be able to find who these offenders are.
“We’re just asking businesses to be vigilant, ask for ID or ask them to remove these items of clothing.”
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
