Police hunting for con woman

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Wednesday April 28, 2010 00:00

The con woman, suspected to be between 25 and 30 years of age, has reportedly been operating in Francistown, Gaborone and Selebi-Phikwe since 2008.

Selebi-Phikwe Police Station commander, superintendent Victor Nlebesi told Mmegi they have received four reports concerning the woman within two weeks. In the latest incident that occurred on Monday the woman got away with P900 belonging to a student from Matshekge Hill Senior Secondary School. 'The con woman spots her victims when they are alone. She is always carrying a purse. When she approaches a victim, she asks to put her purse and cellphone in the other woman's handbag. She only targets women. She then asks her victim to move around the shops with her. She will ask her newfound friend to go with her into a shop where she will ask the friend to fit into a dress while she remains outside the fitting room with the victim's handbag. She will then disappear with the handbag,' he said.

Nlebesi described the woman as slim in built, speaks fluent Setswana and is always smartly dressed. He appealed to members of the public to assist them with any information that may lead to the arrest of this woman.

'If we arrest her, we will call all her victims and conduct an identification parade. She will be charged with obtaining by false pretences,' he remarked.

Meanwhile Nlebesi has warned members of the public against parking in bushy areas at night as many people in such situations have been robbed of their valuables.