Police are pleading with shopkeepers and service station attendants to make all customers remove identity coverings to try and curb a spate of paywave frauds.

"These people are pulling hoodies up to their noses so they deliberately can't be identified," Oxley Detective Acting Inspector Jason Darcy told the Leader.

Detective Darcy said police had watched staff serve people with sunglasses at night, and even hooded jumpers on in the middle of a sunny day - despite it not being cold.

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"This makes it more difficult to solve offences, especially when we have information that these descriptions match those suspected of property offences," Detective Darcy said.

Tamworth police said a spate of break and enters or thefts from cars had seen wallets, credit cards and cash stolen, and even stolen cars had been used to commit offences, pictured in CCTV from the businesses.

The only problem is, the faces of those behind it, are hidden on the shops' cameras.

"They need to remove their hoods, these coverings while they're in the stores," Detective Darcy said.

"If someone is wearing a hoodie in the middle of the day, with the hood up, or sunglasses in the middle of the night, of course that is suspicious.

"If they're pulling their jumper or coat up across their nose to be served, then that is suspicious - what are they trying to hide?

"We ask the staff not to serve them until they remove this, and if they insist on being hidden, then there is a reason for it - and they should not be served."

Detective Darcy urged businesses to up their policies and procedures to protect staff, and limit the number of stolen cards being used in paywave fraud.

"This is a safety issue for staff, because these people are deliberately concealing their identity to avoid detection for other criminal offending," he said.

"We need assistance from the businesses houses, the convenience stores, the service stations, particularly across South Tamworth - that has been the trend we have seen."

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