Police have issued a warning after reports of a man, who may be working as part of a larger group, using distraction techniques to con cashiers out of money.

According to an officer from PSNI Fermanagh, a Post Office was targeted in recent days and the man used sleight of hand techniques to trick the staff member out of £160.

Constable N explained: "This was done when the male requested a sum of money be exchanged from £10 notes into £20 notes. When this was handed to him he is observed on CCTV folding a sum of these notes and placing them into his pocket whilst he handed back the rest and asked for them to be changed into euros and sent to his girlfriend in a different country. He was loud, angry and disruptive throughout in an effort to distract staff."

While an investigation is ongoing, police believe there may be a group of males targeting stores across Northern Ireland following similar incidents involving con artists targeting young, inexperienced staff in the hope of getting away with their fraud.

The male suspect is described as having swarthy skin and black hair receding at the sides and thinning on top. He is approximately in his mid 30s, stocky and short, with stubble and a tattoo on his right arm (angel wings with the word JASON), and another on his left arm (a rose with a face).

Anyone with information can contact officers using non-emergency line 101.



(JG/CM)