Police are urging businesses to remain vigilant following a string of fraudulent offences in the state’s Central West.
Officers attached to Central West Police District are investigating several incidents which occurred at Orange between Tuesday 10 September 2019 and Monday (16 September 2019).
Shortly after 3pm on Tuesday 10 September 2019, a male and female entered a store within a shopping centre at Orange and purchased various items with what police believe to be a fraudulent credit card.
On paying for the items, staff were told the card was damaged and required the manual input of the card number to complete the purchase.
Police were alerted to the incident and commenced inquiries after reports the man and woman were acting suspiciously within the shopping centre.
Between Thursday and Monday, two males and a female purchased various items using a credit card at a business on Summer Street.
The business has since received a disputed transaction for the initial transaction.
One man has been described as Caucasian in appearance, olive complexion, thin build, 165-175cm tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and unshaven.
The second man has been described as Caucasian in appearance, olive complexion, solid build, 180-185cm tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and no facial hair.
The woman has been described as Aboriginal/ Torres Strait Islander in appearance, olive complexion, thin build, 160-165cm tall, with black hair and brown eyes.
Central West Police District Crime Manager, Detective Chief Inspector Bruce Grassick, urges staff to be vigilant about this practice.
“This would include checking the card for physical signs of damage, consulting managers if staff have doubts about the transaction, and being highly cautious about the manual input of credit card numbers,” he said.
Police also urge people to be mindful of the whereabouts of their bank card, make regular statement checks and report any abnormalities to their bank in the first instance.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Orange Police Station: 6363 6399, Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence.
