Costume Scammers
Costumed scammers on Westminster Bridge
In a nutshell, it is illegal, they are also scammimg tourists by saying they can take a photograph for free and with the regards to the lady in red, she charges £20, is quite persistent and she takes contactless payment on her mobile phone which is of concern as organised crime groups are often involved and the tourists details may be obtained and used in identity fraud.
Young children are also physically grabbed without the parent's consent and sometimes have to be pryed away from the costumed characters. Adults are also grabbed and held on to while their partner's are encouraged to take a photo of them.
The rose sellers are very persistent, once a customer has held the rose, the customer will often be harassed until payment is made.
There is a short recent video of the costumed scammers published by a content creator, which we will include in a reaction video highlighting the views of those who felt they have been scammed.
The local authorities of Lambeth and Westminster are responsible for the lllegal trading aspect and the police for any criminal matters such as fraud. and antoi social behaviour. There may also be immigration offences along with benefit fraud for those scammers who may also be claiming benefits.
What we do
When our volunteers are on the Bridge we will challenge them and use various techniques which result in them leaving.
We will pass on information and photos to the relevant local authorities such as Lambeth and Westminster Councils.
We also hand out leaflets to visitors and tourists to help prevent them being scammed.
