A warning has been issued about a Brighton con artist who has been scamming kind hearted people out of money for months by spinning sob stories about a broken down car.
Police are linking several reports from members of the public who have been approached by a woman who tells them she urgently needs money because her car has broken down.
Sometimes, Good Samaritans are told her son is waiting, sometimes that she needs to visit someone in hospital, or simply that she is stranded and needs a bus or train fare.
A picture of a woman identified as the con artist by one of her victims has been widely circulated on social media.
Today, police issued a warning after another woman was approached in Eastern Road, outside the Sussex Eye Hospital, on Christmas Eve, by a woman who claimed to be having issues with her car and asked for money to cover her bus or train fare back home.
Inspector Brian McCarthy from Brighton and Hove’s neighbourhood policing team said: “We would urge all members of the public to be cautious of anyone approaching them on the street and asking for money.
“This is the only report made to us but we believe that other people may have fallen victim to this scam. Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim of this type of crime should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101.”
Police said they were also linking this incident to two similar instances in September. On the first occasion, a woman approached a woman in Bennett Road around 5pm on Saturday (September 24) and said that she had locked her keys in her car and needed to borrow £30 to get home to Billingshurst.
She gave her name, an address and a telephone number, but has not returned the money or been contactable via the information she provided.
Then the following Monday, it is thought that the same woman was stopping people in the George Street area around 8.30am asking for money because she needed the train fare to get her sick child to hospital. She was reported by a woman who did not give her any money, but there were no other reports.
In all three cases, the woman is described as white, 25-35, of slim build, with a long slim nose.
why is her obscured if you want her caught?
She approached my daughter and I when we were shopping about November time, i think it was in london rd. Had seen her mentioned on facebook before so declined to help.
I saw her doing this yesterday up by Churchill square
I hope this woman can be reprimanded for her crime, deceiving the generous people of Brighton and Hove out of their money they have given to this woman who has lied to receive these ill gotten gains, one of those generous people being my Daughter. Disgraceful behavior to prey on people’s good will, leaving those people who have given feeling cheated. Hold her accountable for her actions!!
She’s been at it for years. It must have been at least 2 years ago outside Hove Town Hall, she asked me for £3 because she was short of her train fare. Which of course I foolishly gave her… only for me to see her the following night where she told the same tale. My reply wasn’t quite the same the second time around.
She’s also outside the rear entrance of Brighton station on many occasions and can be very rude if told to go away
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked for bus or train fares by all sorts. What a waste of time. Surely it can’t be very profitable.
Her face is obscured because her nose is so big from all the lies she tells!
She’s approached me previously in North Street – v convincing with her sob stories but obviously a con artist.
They have to blur face. As she hasn’t been convicted.
Also we know her name.
If you have her name and her photo, please do email it to sussex police at 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk
They need proof to prosecute her. Don’t assume the police won’t prosecute – they will, but need people’s help to do so. If they collect enough testimonies and if those people are able to positively identify her, they will get her off the streets.
And here we are years later and she made my disabled daughter give her money from cash point . She recently did same to others . She is still at it. Unbelievable!
This woman is around at all hours. Not so much in the early hours at the station but summertime she is there from 5.30 am
I don’t give to any of these beggars. Never have, never will.
She tried it with me on round hill crescent last year she has very bad skin covered in round sores