Ruddington residents are being warned to be on the lookout for a pair of female fraudsters after an elderly woman was conned out of a large amount of cash in our village centre earlier today (Saturday 26th January).
In an anonymous post to the Ruddington Mums Facebook page, the woman’s daughter revealed: “Today my mum was robbed of £200 by two European women on Church Street, Ruddington posing as ‘charity workers’, shortly after she withdrew the money from the Post Office. I would not have known this had happened, as my mum has Alzheimer’s, were it not for a lovely village employee who suspected something suspicious was occurring, and rang me.”
Her message continued: “Please be vigilant. I honestly don’t know how these people can sleep at night knowing what they are doing. Alzheimer’s is a heart breaking illness to witness and incidences like this compound the agony. Thank God we have such caring people who live and work in our lovely village to look out for such despicable behaviour.”
Rushcliffe Police have been informed, and say CCTV enquires are on-going to identify the two women. They added that it does seem to be a similar incident to some that occurred in other areas last month where two ‘eastern European females’ posed as working for charity to obtain ‘sponsorship’.
If you have information about this or similar incidents – either as a witness or possibly having captured CCTV footage that could help – you’re asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
UPDATE MON 28th JAN:
In a further social media post from the elderly victim’s daughter, the message reads:
“I would like to thank each and every person from the bottom of my heart who has sent good wishes to my mum and our family. It means so much to my mum to still be able to walk around the village most days (as much as it worries me) and I am 99% of the time so touched by how kind and helpful people are to her. In the last 24 hours the residents and businesses of Ruddington have shown what I have always known (it’s why we live here) that you are a wonderful community of the kindest, most generous people.”
She concludes: “A group of you have got together and so generously donated to my mum, and this donation will be very carefully and considerately used to make life a little bit easier living with Alzheimer’s. Mum thankfully appears to be unaffected by what happened yesterday, but I will keep you all posted of what the outcome of the police enquiry is, in order for us all to feel safer in our lovely village. Lots of love to you all. xxxx.”
