The old and vulnerable have been told to look out for a gang of con-artists who have been seen wandering around central Reading peddling their wares.
Community groups have discovered that they have been cold calling on residents and have caused considerable alarm and distress to hundreds of people by telling them the sky is falling in and other scarey stories. If this fails they are also known to resort to begging for the fare for their long bus journey home to the other side of Reading.
Police have warned that they have a new scam in operation. "They steal things from you during the night then turn up at your front door, sympathising with your loss of money, blame it on travellers, then try to sell it back to you."
Grifter Warning
How to tell if you are being lied to - simply look for these tell tale signs:
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They leave you a leaflet containing the words; "The coalition has plans to..."
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They claim to represent honest hardworking people when they are neither of the sort
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They promise to reverse council spending decisions.
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Their lips move.
Remember if it sounds too good to be true... it most certainly is.