CONWAY, Ark. — A scam in Conway is turning heads after someone got their debit card stolen in a Walmart parking lot after being approached by a pregnant woman.
This scam only happened once, but the rarity of it is what made the police department share it with the public.
It's not your typical call or text scams, which is why Public Information Officer Lacey Kanipe said the department is asking everyone to be on the lookout for this scam and others like it.
"Overall it's not something that we see often, so that's kind of what made it different," she said.
On Friday, June 4, the Conway Police Department responded to a call about a scam that happened in the Walmart off Highway 65.
One that Kanipe described as "unique."
"All we know is what we've shared with the public. The videos that Walmart released weren't incredibly clear because everything is so far away," she said.
Kanipe said most of their knowledge comes straight from the victims account of everything.
She said the man in the photograph below is believed to be working with a pregnant female to scam local shoppers.
According to Kanipe, the victim told police it all started at the checkout line.
"She used the self checkout and he watches her the whole time and then he follows her out to her vehicle, he's on the phone the entire time," she said.
Police believe the man was on the phone with the pregnant woman.
Once the victim was putting groceries into her car that's when the pregnant woman approached her, as a distraction asking for directions, according to Kanipe.
"She said that while that was happening he reaches inside the vehicle and grabs her debit card," she said.
Kanipe said the suspect used the card at three different places, since he watched her put in her PIN number at the checkout line, but law enforcement isn't sure how much he spent.
The rarity of the scam led to the department's post on Facebook to educate the public about what to be on the lookout for while investigation is still underway.
"Who's going to expect it to happen, you're not looking for that thing everyday, but just know that it does happen and just be aware," Kanipe said.
This isn't the only scam the Conway police wants the public to be aware of.
Kanipe said scammers calling and impersonating law enforcement officers and scammers reaching out to people online who are looking for a job, also are very common.
If you become a victim of a scam or know any information about this scam, contact the Conway Police Department immediately.