A wave of alleged distraction thefts targeting unsuspecting bank customers has come to a dramatic end with the arrest and charging of five individuals. A trail of victims, some as old as 82, and spanning across Chatham, Dartford, Gravesend, and Sevenoaks, fell prey to the cunning scheme between October 3, 2024, and February 3, 2025.
The scam was chillingly simple: after making substantial withdrawals, victims, aged 49 to 82, were approached by strangers who engaged them in seemingly innocent conversation. In the blink of an eye, the cash was gone. But the long arm of the law was closing in. A meticulous investigation into each incident led officers to Hemel Hempstead on February 7. There, in a dramatic swoop, five suspects were apprehended in a vehicle.
Five individuals, all of no fixed address, now face charges of conspiracy to steal. They have been remanded in custody and are set to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court on February 10.