A trickster has been ripping off Ballina shops by bamboozling staff while they are giving him change.
Ballina police report the man uses the age-old technique of buying a very cheap item with a large note and asking for change.
In one instance, he tried to buy a bottle of water with a $100 note.
When the staff member gave the man the change, he then said that he could pay with change that he already had.
By confusing the staff member, asking for his original $100 back, then asking for change of a $50 note and apparently being on the phone, the man ended up leaving the location with $190 plus the original $100 note and the bottle of water.
The trick was replicated twice more over the weekend and all three cases are now being investigated.
‘These tricksters generally target junior staff and will try to rush and confuse them as much as possible,’ a police spokesperson said.
‘If you feel that someone is playing this trick on you, stop the transaction and get help from the store manager. You are not obliged to offer change, especially if you think someone is trying to defraud you.’
Anyone who was a victim of this scam over the weekend is requested to contact Ballina Police.
