OAP rumbles 'An Post' con men
AN elderly man in Kilcorney had a narrow escape when two men who claimed to be from An Post tried to con him out of his cash.
The pair requested that he hand over his cash — so they could examine it on the pretence that it was counterfeit.
However, when the sharpminded pensioner smelled a rat and went to get help, a third man suddenly entered his house and took his phone off him.
He then fled his house for his car, but the three took the car keys off him.
This all happened last weekend, when there were 13 separate break-ins, which all occurred during day lights hours and when the houses were unoccupied. Cash, cheques, handbags and copper were taken in a spate of break-ins at Nadd, Kiskeam, Crookstown, Rathmore, Macroom, Dunmanway and Tullylease. AN elderly man had a narrow escape when two men who claimed to be from An Post requested he hand over his cash, so they could examine it on the pretence it was counterfeit.
This incident in Kilcorney last Saturday was one of a spate of incidents over last weekend.
When the elderly man went to phone to get help a third man suddenly entered his house and took the phone off him. The elderly man fled his house and went to his car, but the men also took the car keys off him. The men were aggressive towards the elderly man but did not make physical contact with him.
Gardai are now looking for three men, all in their 20s and Irish nationals, who drove off at high speed in a blue car. This week, Sgt Ian O'Callaghan, crime prevention officer, described the attempted crime on an elderly man as being a "menacing and cowardly".
However, over the weekend, Gardai in the West Cork division were left investigating 13 break-ins, which all occurred during day lights hours and when the houses were unoccupied. Cash, cheques, handbags and copper were taken in a spate of break-ins at Nadd, Kiskeam, Crookstown, Rathmore, Macroom, Dunmanway and Tullylease.
The Corkman understands that several thousand euro worth of cash was taken in the raids, but no jewellery. Some of the houses were ransacked in a matter of minutes and a house in Rathmore was turned up side down in just 15 minutes when its owner went to collect children from school.
Sgt O'Callaghan said Gardai are very anxious to pass on preventative advice to the public.
He also said that some of the break-ins were houses that belonged to elderly people living on their own. "Elderly people need to be informed that scams such as people pretending to be from An Post are in existence. Criminals are willing to concoct any sort of a story in order to extract money from people, particularly the most vulnerable in society," he said. He advised that "under no such circumstances" should any money be kept at home.
He said that even the smallest bit of information on a vehicle or person can prove invaluable in assisting Gardai with their investigations. While a full registration of a suspicious vehicle is ideal, even a partial registration or just the make, model colour or even a description of can also prove just as valuable.
- MARIA HERLIHY MHERLIHY@CORKMA.IE
