A man is targeting elderly people around Wood Lane and Dagenham Heathway with a parking scam.

A man is targeting elderly people in Dagenham with a parking scam.

The suspect approaches elderly or vulnerable people that have parked in Wood Lane and Dagenham Heathway, as they are about to enter a shop.

He tells them they’ve committed a parking offence which has been caught on CCTV, but he can help them cancel it at a cash machine.

He helps them use the cash machine, watching them input the pin number and distracting them by talking.

When the victim tries to get their card from the machine, he tells them it must be broken or the machine has swallowed their card, and walks off.

The suspect then quickly goes to other machines, withdrawing as much money as possible.

Police are warning people to be vigilant if parking in the area.

If you know the identity of the suspect, please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 1111, or send a direct message on Twitter @MPSBarkDag.