Criminals followed a shopper as she returned a trolley in the car park of a Tesco store and took £1,000 after stealing her bank card. Now, pensioner Lola Sledmere is warning others to be on the lookout after she was deliberately distracted by a man while his accomplice stole the card from her car.
The 88-year-old had the money taken from her account over two days after a visit to a Tesco superstore. She says she was distracted by a man when she went to return her trolley in the car park while a fraudster entered her car, just yards away, to take her card.
The grandmother of seven saw CCTV film that appeared to show a third criminal loiter behind her and watch her insert her PIN at the checkout. She believes the trio conspired together to steal her bank card.
READ MORE: Warning over '419' scam that sees people lose £2,500 on average
Since the incident the widow has become wary of leaving her home and says: "It's affected me very much. I have been struggling to sleep because I think about it all the time. It is just so clear in my mind. I have felt sad and worried, and stupid to be honest."
Lola, who worked in psychology, added: "Of course, it has impacted me financially too. I am a pensioner. I have a state pension but I'm not well off at all." After she paid for her groceries, it is believed Lola was followed to her car by the man who saw her PIN.
She put her shopping and handbag in her vehicle, left it unlocked as she turned to return the trolley in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. But another man spoke to her, asking for directions to Chesham. Lola said: "I thought he was being a bit stupid as there are plenty of signs for Chesham and it's only around the corner. But I offered help. Someone previously must have looked over my shoulder and got my PIN number at the checkout."
Lola, who was born in the Netherlands and moved to the UK in 1955, said she only realised the card was missing when she checked her bank online and saw two withdrawals of £250 had been made. The pensioner informed Thames Valley Police but two more £250 withdrawals were made the next day at cashpoints in Leyton, east London.
Lola is working with police and her bank to get the money back. She warned: "Everyone should always lock their car, no matter how far it is from the trolley bay. I'd say be wary of strangers. My handbag was returned very neatly in the same spot it was in the car and my wallet wasn't taken. It was just this card but these criminals were very clever. It takes just minutes."
A Tesco spokesperson said: "We were sorry to hear about this incident and want to assure people that the safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority."
