SHOP staff have been warned about a gang of scammers.
Police said there had been 12 reports about stolen takings or attempts to steal money by trying to confuse shop staff.
On one occasion, police said one of two men had asked a member of staff to change £660 worth of £10 notes into £20 notes.
The member of staff did this and passed him the money. The man then put his hands on the money, passed the notes back to the member of staff and said he meant 20 pence pieces not £20 notes. The staff member explained to him the shop could not do this and gave him back the £10 notes. The cashier re-counted the £20 notes later in the day and found £260 was missing.
On a second occasion, a man entered another shop and asked the cashier to change £200 into different denominations. While the cashier was working on this request, the man changed his mind about which denominations he wanted, confusing the cashier.
The next day the shop’s manager found that the till was missing £100.
The men were described as being of Mediterranean appearance.
Insp Bill Pinnell said: "We are eager to support businesses across the Island and are keen to track down these individuals as soon as possible. I would urge residents and businesses to report any suspicious activity to the police."
• Anyone with information can contact Newport Police Station on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk