Burnaby RCMP is warning of two new types of distraction theft that have recently occurred in Burnaby.
Stained Clothing Distraction Theft
On September 5, 2019, the female victim withdrew cash from her bank at 4500 Kingsway Avenue in Burnaby. The victim placed the cash in an envelope and into her bag. The victim then stopped at a food court and continued shopping.
After roughly 20 minutes, the victim was approached by a female who told her she had ketchup on her back and proceeded to clean it for her. The female engaged the victim in conversation while cleaning her back and then left. It was during this time that a male suspect, seeing that the victim was distracted, stole the envelope of cash from the victim’s bag.
Images of three people, one female and two males that police are seeking to identify in this incident are below.
Dropped Change Distraction Theft
On September 18, 2019, at around 7:30 p.m., the victim was getting into her vehicle at a mall in the 4500 block of Lougheed Highway when she was approached by an unknown female.
The female advised that the victim had dropped some change near the front wheel of her vehicle. The victim exited her vehicle to check. As the victim and the female suspect were picking up the change a male entered through the passenger side of the vehicle. The victim continued picking up the change as the male stole cash from her purse that had been left on the passenger seat.
Once the victim got back into her vehicle she realized cash had been stolen from her purse and contacted police.
An image of the two suspects, one male and one female from this incident is below.
In both of these thefts, it appears as though thieves were watching the victims for a considerable amount of time and worked a well rehearsed scenario to distract them and steal cash, says Cpl. Mike Kalanj with Burnaby RCMP. We’d like for the public to remain vigilant against these types of thefts and to follow our advice to avoid becoming a victim.
Advice
Both victims targeted in the incidents outlined above were elderly females and police are asking that members of the public please ensure elderly relatives, friends and neighbours are aware of these types of distraction thefts. In addition, please ensure awareness of the following:
If someone appears to be overly friendly and you are uncomfortable please get to a safe space as soon as possible and contact police.
Trust your gut! If something doesn’t feel right then get away from the situation until you feel safe. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to get out of your personal space.
If you are a victim of a theft such as the ones outlined above, please ensure you report it to police. We understand that being a victim of a distraction theft can be difficult to speak about but ensuring police are aware will allow us to investigate the matter thoroughly.
If you’re carrying cash, make sure it’s secure in a zipped bag held close to your body or your pocket.
If someone accidentally spills something on you or attempts to distract you by dropping something in front of you, ensure you have valuables secured before you react.
If you are withdrawing a large sum of money from your financial institution, consider making the withdrawal on your way home. Try not to walk around or shop with large sums of cash on your person.
If you are using debit or credit cards, then ensure you do not allow anyone to see your pin code when using them. Report any stolen debit or credit cards to your financial institution immediately.