A Good Samaritan taxi driver has been left shaken after he was conned out of £350 by a client posing as a business man for Marks and Spencers.
By Orla McNicholl
orla@derrypost.com
Chris O’Neill, who owns his own taxi business was conned after a man contacted him to book his taxi before managing to pocket £350 from the Maghera man and making his escape.Mr O’Neill said: “I received a phone call on Monday night from a man claiming to be Paul from Marks and Spencers, he said he wanted me to lift his colleague at the airport on Wednesday and take him to Walsh’s Hotel where he would be staying. ”He took details of my car and said he would see me at the airport.”Chris picked up the man at the International airport on Wednesday, who he believes to be from Belfast and in his late forties or early fifties.“He asked me to take him to Belfast first as he had to pick up packages in some shops. The third shop that I took him to, he said he had to pick up money, but came out empty handed.”The bent crook asked Chris to lend him money and promised to pay him double when he got back to Maghera.“He asked me for £200 and when I opened my wallet, he seen I had more money so he hit me for another £150. I had £400 in my wallet which I was planning to get changed to Euros as I was going on holidays.”
It only came to light that Chris was conned when the man got out of the car and Chris realised he wasn’t operating alone: “I saw three guys standing in the area and I believe they were his accomplices who had been following me through Belfast. I realised then that I had been conned. ”When the man got out of the car, he kept holding the side of his coat and I believe that he had a gun.”Chris believes this man is operating in the area trying to con other taxi drivers, he said: “I understand this man has been trying to con others, I believe another taxi driver in Magherafelt received a similar phone call where he was asked to take a client from the airport to the Terrace Hotel in Magherafelt.