SCAM: Tricky couple trip community with stacks of dollar bills
"If they can't get money out of you, they look for every other possible item of value in your possession."
They greet you, smile, laugh and act as if they do not have a care in the world.
The pair start a conversation, and before long you know they are foreigners.
This is how the latest con-artists operating in Newcastle get their fangs into business owners and residents.
According to victims, the scammers are a couple believed to be of Middle Eastern descent.
“They introduce themselves as being Turkish, and ask you about the items you are selling,” explained a witness who did not want to be named.
The suspects then ask for the biggest denomination of Rands you might have, before flashing victims the stacks of Dollars in their wallets.
Some of the victims have fallen into this trap, while others have refrained, suggesting the couple go to the bank if they need to exchange their currency.
“If they can’t get money out of you, they look for every other possible item of value in your possession.”
According to sources, from cellphones to money in your till, the woman moves to distract the victim, while the man uses sleight of hand to quickly lift any items of value.
Investigations into their whereabouts are ongoing, and Newcastle residents are advised to be on the lookout for this couple.
