Champagne bought with Horsham pensioner’s credit card after she loses £7,500 in scam

A man bought a bottle of champagne with a Horsham woman’s credit card hours after the pensioner was tricked into handing it to a scammer.
By Harley Tamplin
Published 14th Jul 2015, 13:06 BST

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CCTV image of a man who bought champagne with a Horsham pensioner's credit cardCCTV image of a man who bought champagne with a Horsham pensioner's credit card
CCTV image of a man who bought champagne with a Horsham pensioner's credit card

CCTV footage released by Sussex Police shows the man using the credit card at Sainsbury’s in Regents Place, Euston, London, to buy more than £130 of shopping at 10.20pm on May 7.

The shopping included a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne.

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At around 2pm on the same day, the victim, 78, was contacted at home by a man who claimed to be a police officer and said thieves were trying to withdraw money from her bank account.

Police said he persuaded her to withdraw cash, her credit card and bank details to a courier who would visit her.

A man described as Asian and in his twenties turned up at her house and collected the card and cash. In total, she lost around £7,500.

Detective constable Rees Hopcraft said: “We do not know if we are talking about one offender or a gang. They could be from Sussex but as the card was used in Euston they clearly have links to London as well.

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“Crimes of this nature are despicable in that these criminals deliberately target the most vulnerable members of society and the elderly.

“I would urge anyone who recognises this man to contact us.”

Anyone with information can email [email protected] quoting serial 858 of 08/05, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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