Be alert to an elderly man claiming to have found jewellery
A warning has been sent from a local resident about a potential gold ring scam in operation in the Hanwell and Northfield areas.
She says:
''Be aware of a man who pretends to find a ‘gold’ ring on the street and who then attempts to swap it for an item of jewellery / sell it. I presume that the ring he ‘finds’ is of no value or is not his to sell/exchange. See two incidents below.
The man is aged approximately 65, speaks faltering English (with an eastern European accent), is roughly 5ft 6”, has dark grey hair and a stubbly, unshaven appearance.
1st incident – Hanwell (corner of Greenford Avenue and Gifford Gardens) 24th August 2012
Directly in front of me, a man ‘finds’ a ‘gold’ ring. He shows it to me and wants to engage me in conversation. Initially, believing he has found his own ‘lost’ ring, I am happy to speak to him, congratulating him on his find. However, he then pesters me to swap a ring that I am wearing for his ‘find’ and when I refuse, harasses me to buy the ring from him. When I refuse to buy the ring from him, he demands money for a cup of coffee, which I also refuse to give. He becomes irritated as I walk away. The man is alone and does not remain at the location after I have continued walking.
2nd incident – Northfields (corner of Little Ealing Lane and Chandos Avenue) 10th September 2012
Man bends down to pick up a gold ring from the pavement in front of him as I approach. I recognise him as the man from the previous incident (see above). As I pass, he tries to show me the ring and attempts to engage me in conversation. On this occasion, I don’t speak with him. The man is alone and does not stay at the location after I have continued walking.
Police say that the Safer Neighbourhoods Team and the Intelligence Unit are fully aware of this - but at present this is an isolated report.
19th September 2012