Businesses warned over scam at Post Office

The scam, known as “ringing the changes”, involved two women who spoke in broken English, who asked to withdraw a large amount of Euros ar Castleton Post Office using sterling to pay for them.

The women then changed their mind and began to explain that they wanted to send the money electronically. They were given their pounds back and they handed back the Eruos to the post office staff before leaving the premises very quickly.

Staff later realised that the women had kept around half of the Euros which amounted to around £440 worth.

This incident happened at around 2.30pm on Monday 21 March 2016 at the post office on Castleton High Street.

The suspects are described as two Asian women with olive coloured skin. The first suspect was aged in her mid-50s, around 5ft tall, overweight with black hair. All of her top teeth were gold apart from the front two. She was wearing a multi-coloured head scarf.

The second woman is aged in her 30s, of medium build, around 5ft 6in tall with black hair and wearing a beige coloured cardigan with no buttons.

It is believed that the suspects have carried out similar crimes at post office premises around the country.

Police are appealing to anyone who has any information about the two women including any business owners who may have been targeted by them, or can help identify them, to come forward.

Anyone who has any information that could help the police investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Ryan Lyth. Or email [email protected]

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote reference number 12160049355 when passing on information.