Pensioner Targeted at ATM by Slick Thief
On 17 February 2021, a pensioner checking her bank balance at an ATM in Headcorn High Street was duped by Daniel Baah. While her card was still in the machine, Baah pressed the keypad, then walked off, leaving her to think the ATM had swallowed her card. Alarmed, she alerted nearby supermarket staff who called the police.
Hundreds Stolen in Shady Cash Machine Scam
Investigators soon uncovered Baah’s crime spree. Using the victim’s card, he withdrew £500 in two cash withdrawals from a local post office just minutes after the incident.
Two days later, the conman targeted another elderly man in his 80s at a cashpoint in Tonbridge High Street. Baah claimed the ATM wasn’t working and fiddled with the buttons. While the man was distracted, Baah nabbed £300 before splitting.
Police Close In After CCTV Nab
Alerted by witnesses, police teamed up with council CCTV operators to track Baah down. They caught him on Barden Road, recovering a jacket he’d ditched containing £1,190 in cash. Baah, of Durban Road, Plaistow, Greater London, was charged with theft and fraud by West Kent CID.
Thief Strikes Again, Faces Long Stretch
Baah didn’t stop there. In July 2022, he hit five more victims at ATMs across Strood, Gravesend, and Chatham. Using the same ruse—claiming the machines were faulty—he distracted users and stole cash from their accounts. When he got hold of their cards, he withdrew more money elsewhere.
Police identified Baah’s car and arrested him on 25 July on the A2. Kent Crime Squad charged him with multiple counts of theft and fraud.
On 20 November 2023 at Maidstone Crown Court, 26-year-old Baah pleaded guilty to eight thefts and 16 frauds. He was slammed with a 2-year 8-month prison sentence for his spree.
