The Police have arrested a suspect who is being held in custody over a number of fraudulent attacks on Imperial College Students. The person, believed to be part of a large gang, has been driving around South Kensington looking for young people, particularly of oriental origin, to con out of cash.
Pretending to be models or minor celebrities, the con artist(s) have been picking up students in a car and driving them to cash points. By using a sob story whereby a date has robbed them of all their money on a previous evening, the fraudester(s) then convince the students to hand over cash to help them out. There have been several incidents reported and the police are now working with the students to form a case against the man in custody.
However, it is likely that many more people have been victims of this kind of fraud and they are encourage to come forward to help the police with their inquiry. Of particular worry is that the man is unlikely to have been working alone and students are asked to be mindful of people asking for money in the street and should never agree to get into a car with a stranger. The advice from the police if you are approached or made to feel uncomforable in this way is that you should get yourself to a safe place and dial 999 immediately. If you think you have been a victim of fraud previously, please contact your local police station.
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