Two men have been charged after allegedly stealing more than $50,000 by scamming 18 elderly women in shopping centre car parks across New South Wales. NSW police arrested the two men, aged 37 and 57, on Wednesday following 18 alleged thefts in Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, and several Sydney suburbs.
Police allege the men worked together between 3 January and 7 January, with one man approaching victims claiming there was an issue with their vehicle and asking them to raise the bonnet for inspection. While the bonnet was up, the other man allegedly stole items such as wallets, purses, cash, and cards from inside the car.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stacey Maloney said the offenders typically approached victims after they had finished shopping and returned to their cars. The men appeared to act as good Samaritans by suggesting a mechanical or cosmetic issue with the vehicle.
The two men, who police say are from Romania and had been in Australia on tourist visas since 28 December, have been charged with 72 offences each, including fraud, theft, and entering a vehicle without consent. During a search, police allegedly found vehicle wires, international passports, mobile phones, a toughbook laptop, $6,000 in cash, and receipts for money transfers.
Both men have been refused bail and were due to appear in court on Thursday. Police are also seeking to speak to two other men as part of their investigations.
