Police are urging residents to be vigilant of bogus callers after a woman had her purse stolen.
The woman, in her fifties, was visited by a man at her home in Llyn Yr Eos, Nelson, on Monday at about 3pm.
The man asked for change of a £20 note. The woman asked the man to reach for her purse and she
thought he had put the money inside.
She only discovered yesterday the purse was missing and that the caller must have stolen it.
The purse had a small amount of cash and some bank cards in it.
The caller is described as white, in his mid-thirties, about 5ft 6in tall and slightly overweight. He had a local accent and he spoke with a lisp.
He was wearing dark clothing and a black beanie hat.
Anyone with information should call Gwent Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Gwent Police has issued the following advice.
- When someone unexpectedly calls at your door, take a look out of the window. If you do not recognise them, don’t open your door to them. If in doubt – keep them out.
- Make sure both your front and back doors are locked.
- Ask them to post their details through your door but do not open your door.
- If you don’t know them, ask them to leave.
- If they claim to be from a utility company, ask them to call back
when a relative or friend will be there with you. - If the person refuses to go away, ring Gwent Police immediately on 999 and report it to them. Try to provide a description of the person, vehicle or anything else that seems suspicious.
- Talk to your family and friends about this caller and consider talking to your neighbours about any suspicious activity just in case the same scam is tried on them.