Hero postie saves the day after conman tries it on

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk/ut ... ?id=473669" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AN elderly couple in Denstone have been saved from thousands of pounds of debt caused by an ID fraudster by their neighbourhood postman.

Unbeknown to the conman — who was using the couple’s property to set up fraudulent bank accounts, credit cards and loans — the con was spotted from the beginning by postman Desmond Hulme.

The quick thinking of the 48-year-old postie led to police carrying out a sting operation earlier this month to arrest a suspect.

Mr Hulme said: “I’ve been a postman for 25 years delivering around Denstone so I know everyone in the village. So when one of my customers moved house and put their property up for sale I automatically redirected their mail for them.” Mr Hulme, of Lightfoot Road, Uttoxeter, became suspicious when a Keep Safe, where post is kept at the Royal Mail depot for collection, appeared at the Post Office for an empty property in Denstone.

And the name given to the Uttoxeter sorting office in Carter Street did not match with the former tenants of the house, who had recently moved out.

Mr Hulme said: “It just seemed a strange name and it kept bugging me, things just didn’t seem right.

“For several days my mind swirled with ideas, I knew there was some sort of con but I needed to work out how it worked and then in Sherlock Holmes style, it came to me.

“I went to the police with my idea about what was going on.” A couple of days later the Uttoxeter delivery office started to receive bank statements, cheque books and credit cards for the conman so the police gave the office a crime number to capture him.

So when the ID fraudster came to collect his post, the police jumped into action, blocking the only exit from the office.

In trying to escape, the suspect tried to climb the wall at the back of the Uttoxeter Post Office car park which, unfortunately for him, leads straight to the back yard of the police station.

A spokesman for Uttoxeter Police said two people had been arrested and interviewed in connection with the incident.

The pair, who are not from the area, have been bailed by police pending further enquiries.

[noggin1969]

A spokesman for Uttoxeter Police said two people had been arrested and interviewed in connection with the incident.

The pair, who are not from the area, have been bailed by police pending further enquiries.

[Thorby Bislam]

In trying to escape, the suspect tried to climb the wall at the back of the Uttoxeter Post Office car park which, unfortunately for him, leads straight to the back yard of the police station.

[29lithy]

A spokesman for Uttoxeter Police said two people had been arrested and interviewed in connection with the incident.

The pair, who are not from the area, have been bailed by police pending further enquiries.

Bailed , never to be seen again

Did they have orange uniforms on?.

[deshulme]

"Elementary, My Dear Postman Des ", as he nails ID Fraudster.

An elderly couple living in Denstone, Uttoxeter could have ended up with thousands of £’s in debt due to ID Fraudster using their property to set up fraudulent bank accounts, credit cards and loans.

But unbeknown to the fraudster the con was spotted from the beginning by their Postman, Desmond Hulme.
“I’ve been a Postman for 25 years delivering around Denstone so I know everyone in the village. So when one of customers moved house and put their property up for sale I automatically redirected their mail for them.”

After about 1 month of them moving house and the property was empty a Keep Safe appeared at the Post Office asking for mail for this address to an individual who never before existed for a house which was still up for sale.
“It just seemed a strange name and it kept bugging me, things just didn’t seem right.” Des asked several people around the Delivery Office about his suspicions but no one seemed interested. “I got the feeling that because the person had somehow shown the right documentation then everything was alright.”

Still unperturbed Des went round to the owners of the property with the Keep Safe & Letters and showed it to them. The mystery deepened because they had already had received two of these letters and they had opened them. Inside they found just a blank sheet of paper with a different numbers scribbled on them.

“For several days my mind swirled with ideas, I knew there was some sort of con but I needed to work out how it worked and then in Sherlock Holmes style, it came to me "After eliminating the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" I went to police with my idea about what was going on.

The blank sheets of paper with numbers on them were testing the Keep Safe System and when he was satisfied then Several Bank accounts over the internet would be set up. So when just a couple days later the Uttoxeter Delivery Office started to receive Bank Statements, Cheque Books and Credit Cards for the con man the Police set up Uttoxeter Delivery Office with a Crime number to capture him. ‘The game's afoot.’ Sherlock Holmes would say.

So on a sunny Wednesday afternoon the ID fraudster came to collect his post and the Police jumped into action blocking the only exit from the caller’s office. The man, trying to escape, tried to climb the wall at the back of the Uttoxeter Post Office car-park which, unfortunately for him, leads straight to the back yard of the Police Station.

So feeling proud of myself I thought I’d treat myself to the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson at the local cinema. Elementary, my dear Watson!