Handbag Theft Scam

yorksrabbit

Valli wrote: »

and it comes under Data Protection HOW?

Of course it doesn't. Just another Urban Myth.

ThinkingOfLinking

People forever use it as an excuse to avoid telling you things these days...

DCFC79

Back on topic though, why hang a handbag on a hook thats out of your sight,

trisontana

DCFC79 wrote: »

Back on topic though, why hang a handbag on a hook thats out of your sight,

From what people have said there are no such hooks on the outside of the doors.

yorksrabbit

There are hooks on the outside of toilet doors though.

These are the same doors that also have the locking bolt on the outside.

The reason is due to the faulty installation of toilet doors at Bluewater, Meadowhall, and The Metro Centre near Newcastle. It's only now become apparent that the doors were installed by a criminal gang.

My friend's boss's newsagent's wife was in a toilet at the Metro Centre and a man called John Lewis walked in. He said he was there to hand over her handbag because it was really stupid to leave it hanging up outside.

She didn't believe him and pushed him out, then used her mobile phone to ring the police. But it wasn't in her handbag, John Lewis had stolen it, so she drove to the nearest police station and complained but they arrested her because someone had phoned them to say she was in the country illegally.

It's all true.

marleyboy

trisontana wrote: »

They are not "well known scams". They are well-known urban myths, as a glance at the Snopes site will tell you.

Unfortunately your wrong, the sat-nav home finder is no Myth, this does go on regularly, too regularly.

A victim parks their car in a supermarket, neglectfully leaving the Sat Nav in the car. A feith presses the Home button on the Sat Nav, and off they tolly, if they steal the car, all the better, as they know the victim is pretty much stranded by the time they get to their house.

Its a 50-50 if someone is inside the house, they could simply park around the corner, knock on the door, and if someone answers can easily say "Is Mr Smith there?.....Oh sorry wrong house".

Even the Crime Prevention Team advise Sat Nav users to not enter their home address number "just in case".

A Myth is a Myth up until it is acted upon, then it becomes a fact of life "it goes on", likewise a Myth is born, when such a scam has actually happened. Ergo a myth is a warning to others.

The same could be applied to "never leave your valuables on display, or your windows open when you go out", well known, but certainly no Myth.

If you are so sure they are urban myths, why dont you leave your valuables on your window cill or leave the window wide open, and pop out for an hour? or simply leave your sat-nav in the car at any supermarket and tempt fate as to how "urban" a myth it is?

trisontana

At least the next day, when she was mugged drawing money from an ATM, she had the presence of mind to reverse the numbers of her PIN code and the police were there in under five minutes.

trisontana

marleyboy wrote: »

Unfortunately your wrong, the sat-nav home finder is no Myth, this does go on regularly, too regularly.

A victim parks their car in a supermarket, neglectfully leaving the Sat Nav in the car. A feith presses the Home button on the Sat Nav, and off they tolly, if they steal the car, all the better, as they know the victim is pretty much stranded by the time they get to their house.

Its a 50-50 if someone is inside the house, they could simply park around the corner, knock on the door, and if someone answers can easily say "Is Mr Smith there?.....Oh sorry wrong house".

Even the Crime Prevention Team advise Sat Nav users to not enter their home address number "just in case".

A Myth is a Myth up until it is acted upon, then it becomes a fact of life "it goes on", likewise a Myth is born, when such a scam has actually happened. Ergo a myth is a warning to others.

The same could be applied to "never leave your valuables on display, or your windows open when you go out", well known, but certainly no Myth.

If you are so sure they are urban myths, why dont you leave your valuables on your window cill or leave the window wide open, and pop out for an hour? or simply leave your sat-nav in the car at any supermarket and tempt fate as to how "urban" a myth it is?

I have had a quick trawl through the net and apart from 1 specific case I cannot find any other instances where thieves have used the address details in the sat-nav to target a house. There are plenty of police warnings about removing the thing when you leave your car unattended, but nothing about the home address part.

Next thing we know, they'll be waiting outside somebody's house for them to leave home and then breaking in!

twentypenceoff

trisontana wrote: »

At least the next day, when she was mugged drawing money from an ATM, she had the presence of mind to reverse the numbers of her PIN code and the police were there in under five minutes.

yeah but what happened was that she was taking the money out of the atm machine when she heard a voice say "on the floor lady", and when she looked up she saw a dark skinned guy and panicked,

and later she got a letter with 7oo red roses from eddie murphy and his dog, Lady, apologising for the misunderstanding.

Sublime_2

Bowling_4_Gold wrote: »

Hmm.... Perhaps.

I will ask her when we see her on Monday for a Bank Holiday barbie :beer:

What did she say?