Brazen conmen caught on camera distracting staff as they use card machine fraud to steal thousands from small businesses

This is when three men rob a small business through an ATM fraud and make thousands of dollars.

The trio, from Brent, London, can be seen in CCTV footage released by Avon and Somerset Police telling shop staff in Bristol to enter their PINs to pay.

Instead of entering a PIN, one of the gang members uses a card to authorize refunds to various bank accounts, while the others distract the person at the cash register to buy time.

The three men were arrested after police stopped a car with false number plates on the M4 and found a large number of bank cards and expensive clothing.

One of the scammers, 30-year-old Omar Said-Baker, is on the run after failing to appear at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court where Abdullah Said-Ahmed, 29, and Tahir Mohammed, 30, were given suspended sentences for the fraud.

One of the fraudsters, Omar Said-Baker, 30, is wanted after he failed to appear at a sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court where Abdullah Said-Ahmed, 29, and Tahir Mohammed, 30, were given suspended sentences for the scheme. They were all seen on CCTV footage from Edna’s Kitchen in Bristol

In one clip, one of the scammers asks a member of staff at Bristol’s Cafe Revival to fetch a stirrer for his coffee. He then asks another question as his accomplice busies himself with the device in a bid to steal thousands of pounds.

The other clip released by police was taken from a camera at the back of Edna’s Kitchen, also in Bristol, and shows the shop assistant walking to the fridge and then walking away as the fraud is being committed.

The three men were arrested after police stopped a car with false number plates on the M4, the road between their homes in London and Bristol, where they had targeted shops.

After officers searched the vehicle, they found a large amount of expensive clothing and multiple credit and debit cards, four of which were in Said-Baker’s name.

After further investigation, the three men were linked to the refund scam. CCTV footage was seized showing at least one of the men distracting the store employee while the refunds were being processed.

Between February and March 2019, a number of small independent businesses around Cabot Circus and the surrounding area were attacked.

Said-Ahmed and Mohammed pleaded guilty last month to two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Said-Ahmed was given a 14-month prison sentence, 18 months suspended, and must do 150 hours of unpaid work. Mohammed was given a 23-month prison sentence, 18 months suspended, and must do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Pictured: Said-Baker and Said-Ahmed distract a worker at Café Revival in Bristol while stealing thousands of pounds

However, a warrant has been issued for Said-Baker’s arrest after he failed to appear at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court.

Detective Constable Louise Sinclair, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Complex Fraud Team, said: ‘These three men brazenly stole thousands of pounds from small shops and cafes.

‘At one point they paid back more than £5,000 to an independent cafe.

‘I hope this investigation will reassure small business owners that no matter how complex the investigation, we will do everything we can to ensure that those who harm people’s lives are held to account.

“I also hope this case serves as a reminder to store employees to be vigilant, not to let customers approach PDQ machines, and to report any suspicious behavior or crime to us.”

This comes after CCTV cameras in stores across the country exposed a ‘gold swapping scammer’ who defrauded jewelers by swapping real and fake gold while they paid him.

Footage has emerged from shops in Hailsham, East Sussex, and 230 miles away in Stoke-on-Trent showing a man having real gold appraised, then swapping it for fake gold before running off with cash and valuables.

This comes after CCTV cameras in shops across the country exposed a ‘gold swap scammer’ (shown) who defrauded jewellers by swapping real and fake gold out of sight while they paid him

Ashley Adams Jewellers in Hailsham made £1,100 from the seller, with only ‘two pieces of copper’ to show for it. The seller believed the seller thought they were getting a pharaoh’s head pendant.

Months later, hundreds of miles to the north, the man was accompanied by a female accomplice when he came to the Church Street Gold Pottery and Furniture to sell nine-karat gold. A businessman examined it and confirmed it was real.

After swapping bags, the two ran off with the pawn shop’s money.

Sussex and Staffordshire Police said they were investigating and encouraged witnesses to call police on 101, quoting incident number 396 of June 20, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.