Police have issued an urgent appeal after a fraudster disguised as a traffic warden stole a driver’s bank card and withdrew £500 in cash.
The conman approached his victim as they paid for parking near East Putney station, using his fake identity to swipe their card before heading straight to an ATM.
The Met Police has now issued a warning urging drivers to stay alert when paying at parking meters. Officers said in a statement: "Please be cautious when paying at a parking metre with a bank card.
"You may be the victim of fraud when you are offered help to obtain your parking ticket.
"Fraudsters have lied and said that the ticket machine is broken and offered to find a working machine for you then subsequently run off with it to use it at a ATM cash machine or used it at a shop.
"They are clever at deception pretending to be kind. Some have managed to acquire the pin number too."
Police are advising motorists to be wary of anyone offering unsolicited help at ticket machines, even if they appear to be in uniform or seem genuine.
