A 37-year-old Invercargill woman faces shoplifting charges after allegedly taking items from two Balclutha shops and a Clinton shop on Wednesday.
Constable Robin Hutton, of Balclutha, said it appeared the woman had taken items from the stores, put them in her bag and then returned asking for a refund.
She was unsuccessful at one Balclutha store, but at another store she was ''refunded'' $70.
Her ruse also worked at a Clinton shop, where she received $85, he said.
The woman's vehicle was identified on video footage and she was apprehended by police in Invercargill, Const Hutton said.
