An elderly man fell victim to a parking scam at Northwick Park Hospital on July 3rd, 2024. The incident was reported by Constable Finn Kennedy via OWL.
The victim parked his car in the hospital’s car park for an appointment. As he was parking, a man wearing a high-visibility jacket with the hospital’s name approached him. The man claimed that the parking machine was broken and suggested the victim pay now to avoid paying when leaving.
The man in the high-visibility jacket sat in the passenger seat of the victim’s car and asked him to tap his card on a mobile card machine. When the first card was declined, the victim used another card, which was also supposedly declined. The scammer then claimed the payment had gone through but asked for the victim’s mobility card details.
While the victim was retrieving these details, he placed his wallet on the car’s armrest. After his appointment, the victim found that his parking ticket still showed an outstanding balance. When he attempted to pay, he discovered both his debit cards and £80 in cash were missing from his wallet. Several fraudulent transactions had been made using his cards.
Authorities are warning the public about this type of parking scam. Do not pay anyone other than the official machines or kiosks in the car park. If you receive a parking ticket, verify its authenticity through an internet search.
Pay only using the methods indicated on the ticket. Do not trust individuals claiming to be parking attendants without proper identification.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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