Supposedly stranded conman offered Northampton councillor a 'gold ring' for help in odd roadside scam

A Northampton councillor has claimed to have been the victim of a bizarre roadside scam in which a conman offered him a gold ring in return for money.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Dec 2016, 14:58 BST
Updated 6th Dec 2016, 16:03 BST
Councillor Mike Hallam claims to have been stopped on the A14 by a conman claiming to need fuel for his car.Councillor Mike Hallam claims to have been stopped on the A14 by a conman claiming to need fuel for his car.
Councillor Mike Hallam claims to have been stopped on the A14 by a conman claiming to need fuel for his car.

Councillor Mike Hallam (Con, Headlands), the cabinet member for the environment on the borough council, claims he was flagged down on the eastbound slip road when joining the A14 at Thrapston at around 1pm on Saturday.

He said a driver, supposedly working for a" German car export company," explained he was out of fuel and was asking for money to fill up his tank.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After being offered what was "allegedly a gold ring" as insurance, Councillor Hallam said he suspected it as a possible scam and refused to part with any money.

He reported the incident to police.

Now Councilor Hallam is warning other would-be good Samaritans of the scheme

He said: “I am disgusted by these people, who are clearly playing on people's emotions, but the net effect will be that people are less inclined to stop when they see someone flagging them down in the future and that may well be someone that generally needs help.”

If you notice any suspicious activity by the roadside, contact police in 101.