Appeal for fraudsters suspected to be targeting small businesses
Officers are appealing for help to identify these two men in relation to a fraud investigation.
on Friday 3 July, two men visited a café in Exmouth at around 12.50pm. One of the men was given a chip and pin device to pay.
When the café counted its takings at the end of day, a £500 refund was detected and was found to have been taken out at the same time the two men had been there.
We believe the men pictured may be able to assist with our enquiries.
Similar incidents have been reported at a pharmacy in Redruth, Cornwall, where £5,000 was obtained, and café in Lyme Regis, Dorset, where £1,000 was taken via a card payment machine.
We urge small businesses to be wary of distraction techniques when taking payments and urge anyone to report similar incidents to us.
Police Constable James Norman said: “We are advising businesses to be cautious of handing chip and pin devices to customers, to be vigilant and to spread awareness to small businesses of this type of fraud.”
If you have any information about the two men pictured or are a small business that has been affected in a similar way, please contact us via 101 or the force website quoting reference number 50260172648.
Information can also be passed anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111, or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org
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