Tips On Guarding Against Theft

Here at BakerStreetQ we keep a keen eye on the Quarter. However, unfortunately thieves and con artists operate across London and we’ve recently been alerted to a few crime trends which we wanted to make you aware of.

The street scam “You have a lucky face sir/madam” involves a scam artist stopping people in the street and conning them out of money. It’s a clever trick and the individuals are very charming and engaging but please don’t get involved – google ‘Lucky Face Scam’ for more information.

Another scam is at cashpoint machines, where three people approach an individual at a cashpoint, one watches the pin, the 2^nd drops a £10 note on the floor and informs the individual that he’s dropped the note, as he turns, the first steals cash and card from cashpoint and they run off.

There’s a trend for stealing mobile phones from people walking along the street, often whilst on a moped. Please try to be aware of your surroundings, keep conversations down to a minimum and keep your phone in your secure pocket or bag. With i-Phones selling at around £100 a piece and thieves stealing a dozen a day, it’s a quick win and they’re making a lot of money.

Phones and laptops have also been stolen from people sitting at tables in cafés. Perpetrators use simple distraction techniques such as handing out fliers.

The advice from the Police is to always be alert, be mindful of your personal property and keep possessions like mobile phones and laptops hidden and secure. Don’t give thieves the opportunity to steal. To report a non-emergency crime dial 101.