Lookout in Corby - Grampa's Got a Scam!

As I was walking into Aldi in Corby last  week, near the trolley holding area, I was approached by a gentleman who was returning his trolley, asking me if I would like his, before he put it back in the cart queue.
I could see that the smaller trolleys were gone, as a woman was putting in her £1.00 coin and taking the last one. I hate using the larger trolleys, so I accepted his offer, handed him my £1.00 coin, and proceeded into the shop.

When shopping was all finished, I returned to my car, unloaded my groceries, and walked back to the put the trolley away and retrieve my £1.00.
If you live in Corby you know that it is an awkward area where the carts are stored - and the smaller ones more difficult to get at, too. It is a one-way lane only, and quite tight to fit any more than one person in there at a time.
A woman had just put her trolley in the trolley queue and offered to put my trolley back in for me. I accepted and took the pound coin from her outstretched hand. Now I know you know where this is going, right?

No sooner had I turned and walked away and she had removed my coin from the slot of my trolley, she called out to me, "It's not a pound!". Naturally, I turned back in surprised horror, dumbfounded that a little old grampa had taken me for a pound! And now the horror for me was that this woman was thinking it was ME who was scamming HER!

I couldn't have been more shocked and dismayed. What is this world coming to when a you can't even trust someone to be honest with you over a £1.00 coin? Especially when the someone in question is an elderly gentleman, well groomed and presented, and surely not a risk in person or action.
Don't judge a book by its cover, I say! This little old man has quite the scam going. If he buys the fake £1.00 tokens in bulk, and pulls this stunt many times per day, he is having a nice little side income for himself.

The sad ending to this story is this: I have had this happen to me dozens of times before and never gave it a thought that the person wasn't going to have a £1.00 coin in the slot. Now I am tainted and have a distrust for this formerly friendly exchange. People beware and grampa, shame on you!

xxx
Maggie