Scammers rob two Limassol stores

LIMASSOL police on Tuesday warned all traders to be on the lookout for a couple that has thus far stolen €3,350 from supermarkets and fruitmarkets.
Police said the couple, a man and woman around 35 to 40 years of age, use a ploy to distract tellers while robbing them of their money. The couple was described as dark-skinned, with black hair, probably Roma in decent.

Limassol police spokesman Ioannis Soteriadis said that after paying for their groceries, the woman gives the teller five €20 bills and asks for a €100 bill, explaining that it would have to match a specific serial number since her husband is a collector. While the teller is distracted by the woman – who moves behind the registry to explain to the teller precisely what she is looking for – the man grabs the money from the registry and shoves it in his back pocket.

The couple used the same trick in two separate stores in Limassol, lifting €1,150 from one store and €2,200 from the other.

The theft was caught on one of the supermarket’s CCTV cameras. The owners immediately informed the police.

“It’s not the first time we saw this. We have dealt with cases like these in the past. We urge people to be on the lookout and be extremely careful in their dealings,” Soteriadis said.

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