An elderly man was duped out of hundreds of pounds after a conman called at his Manchester home. At about 2pm on Friday 24 January 2014, a man called at a house on Sandown Street, Abbey Hey. He told the 81-year-old occupant that because he owned his home he was not entitled to free cavity wall insulation but that he could provide it for half price at £800. After the victim handed over the cash the offender said he would go to his van in order to get a receipt. He left and did not return. The man is described as white, in his 50s and being of chubby build. He was wearing a high-visibility jacket. Sergeant Dave McRitchie, said: Crimes like this, where old, vulnerable members of our community are deliberately and maliciously targeted, are sickening. The offender has preyed on this man, offered to provide him with a service and ripped him off to the tune of several hundred pounds. We have visited neighbouring addresses to warn them of what happened but I want the wider public to conscious to this so that they do not fall foul of a similar scam. I also want to hear from anyone with information that may help us identify the offender to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 3981, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:45:10 +0000