‘This behaviour is not funny, not harmless and is not acceptable’
11:30, 24 Jan 2026Updated 14:34, 24 Jan 2026
Tesco in Mold(Image: Google instant street view)
A shopper was targeted by youths in a supermarket in an “intimidating” and “unacceptable” new trend. The woman feared she had been robbed of £60 by laughing and joking youths at Tesco in Mold on Thursday.
The woman, who asked North Wales Live not to name her, claimed more vulnerable people could be badly affected by such an ordeal.
She posted on Facebook: “This afternoon at (about) 4.30pm in Tesco I experienced an incident that needs to be taken very seriously and shared with the wider community. The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now – here’s how to sign up
“A group of around 10-12 teenagers were gathered…selecting a cake and they came around me. One individual reached towards my coat pocket so close that I genuinely believed they were attempting to remove my phone.
“At that moment a ‘banking notification’ sound was played and the group immediately ran off laughing.”
She added: “Two girls stayed behind. When I challenged them about what had just happened they denied any knowledge and ‘played dumb’.
“I later saw the entire group again in the store foyer, laughing and joking. I approached them to confront the behaviour.
“It was clear who had initiated it yet the group continued to laugh, pass blame and treat the situation as a joke.”
There was another incident afterwards. She wrote: “What followed was even more concerning. Several of the teenagers took out their phones, reached towards me again, and played the same banking sound claiming they had ‘stolen £60’ from my bank account.”
She posted: “This behaviour is not funny, not harmless and is not acceptable. I have since been informed this is apparently a TikTok trend.
“Regardless of its origin it involves intimidation, invasion of personal space, and the suggestion of theft, which can cause genuine fear and distress.”
She said the potential effect on elderly people is particularly concerning. If they believe they have been robbed it could make them panic, cause severe anxiety and medical emergencies such as a “falls, heart issues or shock”, said the woman.
She added: “This is not a prank. It is behaviour which could have very real and dangerous consequences.”
She said she is sharing her experience because if perpetrators do this act on the “wrong person it could escalate into a serious incident, confrontation or someone getting seriously hurt”.
She urged parents or guardians to talk to their teenagers about appropriate behaviour and the “very real impact their actions can have on others”.
It is understood that Tesco were not made aware of this incident at the time. It has previously said it takes the safety of its customers and colleagues very seriously and would always encourage customers to speak to a colleague if they have any concerns when they are shopping there so it can fully investigate.
Tesco urges people to be aware of “phishing” in which cyber criminals use QR codes, log in pages and malicious downloads to get access to things they shouldn’t have. People are urged to report issues to Physhing@tesco.com
North Wales Live has approached TikTok for a comment.