Businesses in Perth are being warned to be on the lookout for conmen who have been operating in the city.
“Ringing the changes” is a fraud that involves shop staff exchanging substantial sums of money to a seemingly innocent customer seeking change.
In truth, the customer is a criminal who relies on some rehearsed patter and sleight of hand to take full advantage of the shop worker’s good will.
Very often it is only when the so-called customer has left that the deception is discovered.
Several instances have been reported in Perth, and Tayside Police is urging retailers and pub staff to make sure their staff are alert to the scam.
PC Atholl Spalding reviewed CCTV footage of one of the Perth incidents and described the sleight of hand as “almost like a magic trick”.
“They are very good at it,” he said.
Variations on the theme have been applied across the UK and include receiving change and then immediately cancelling the transaction while failing to return an amount of cash, or changing money to foreign currency, accepting it and then cancelling the deal and not returning a portion of the money.
Anyone who has information that could assist the police investigation into recent incidents can contact them by calling 101, or speaking to any officer.