Debit card thieves nick single mum’s last 50 quid
Steph left with no cash to feed cat
A SINGLE mum has been left penniless after heartless thieves stole her bank card and emptied her account of her last £50.
The theft happened after Stephanie Barker, 35, dropped her bank card in Aldi, in Stewarton, Ayrshire, on Tuesday.
The mum of two had popped into the supermarket to pick up essentials for herself, son Josh, 13, and daughter Lucy, 10, at 5pm.
Within minutes, thieves had taken her card before spending the last of her cash on four purchases at a nearby Sainsbury’s, using contactless payments.
Stephanie didn’t notice her card was gone until 8am the next day when she immediately reported it to police and her bank.
She said: “I left Aldi at 5.10pm and the first purchase was made in Sainsbury’s by the thieves at 5.20pm so they must have been right behind me. They might have even seen me drop it, which is even more sickening.
“That was my last £50. It was my birthday on Sunday and it was money my gran had transferred for me to treat myself, but because it was the last week before payday, I’d been saving it in case we needed it.”
Stephanie says she has been left relying on the kindness of neighbours to feed the family’s pets after being left with no money and only the little food she had bought for herself and her kids.
She added: “We have been left with nothing. I had to accept help from my neighbour who kindly bought my cat some food.
“Annoyingly, I don’t even shop at Sainsbury’s because it’s too expensive.”
Stephanie added: “The impact of £50 on our wee family is massive. It’s a horrible feeling knowing I have no cash at all.”
Stephanie’s bank, Santander, said the money will be reimbursed in seven days and a new card is on its way.
Police are viewing CCTV to try to nail the thieves.
It’s a horrible feeling having no cash at all MUM-OF-TWO STEPHANIE BARKER