Police appeal after bogus charity collectors steal from elderly lady in West Yorkshire

A pair of women posing as workers for a children’s charity claimed they were doing door to door collections when arriving at the victim’s address in Kinsley, Pontefract at 8pm yesterday (June 9).

Police described the suspects as possibly being from an Asian/Eastern European background, both with dark hair, one tall and slim who was roughly in their mid 30s while the other was heavily pregnant.

Once the perpetrators were inside, one of them distracted the elderly lady while the other, who was pregnant, was using the toilet.

They both left shortly after, police said.

The victim reported feeling uneasy which prompted her to check her purse in her bedside cabinet to find that it was missing, containing £400 and a bank card.

West Yorkshire Police stated, “Always check the ID of the person at the door (even that of emergency services workers in uniform) and don't be afraid to make checks via a phone call with the company/organisation that the doorstep caller is claiming to be from.

“Always obtain the correct number for yourself to make sure you are definitely contacting who you believe to be.”

For further advice, take a look at the Doorstep Crime section on the West Yorkshire Police website.

To contact the police in non-emergencies, dial 101.