Police have renewed calls for shoppers to be vigilant following a further spate of distraction burglaries across north Hampshire.
On May 25, a woman had her handbag and bank cards stolen at Chineham shopping centre by a team of scammers.
The woman was approached by a distressed foreign woman asking direction to Oxford and holding a map.
While the woman offered her help, someone entered her car and stole her bag and credit cards. Police said the scammers went on a spending spree and withdrew a significant amount of money.
Since the Chineham incident, two similar scams were reported in Aldershot and Fareham, where an 80-year-old was duped.
PC Jindy Sokhi, from the Basingstoke tasking team, said: "These people are knowingly preying on people’s goodwill and helpful nature and are intentionally targeting lone female shoppers at supermarkets, causing a distraction which allows another member of the group to commit the theft.”
Anyone with any information should contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
