We’re reminding residents to please be vigilant as we’ve recently seen an increase in distraction thefts taking place in supermarkets across Gloucestershire.

From February to mid April, 19 distraction thefts have taken place where purses have been stolen from elderly victims and officers are urging people to make their family, friends and neighbours aware of this type of distraction theft.

These incidents have been reported as taking place at Waitrose, Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Martin McColl’s, M&S and Asda stores across the county and stolen bank cards are often used to withdraw money from ATMs and make online transactions.

These incidents often take place within the supermarket itself or outside in the car park.

A common theme amongst the incidents is how one person will distract the victim whilst a second person takes their purse from inside of their handbag before taking their bank card/s from inside.

“This isn’t just about the theft of a purse as thieves committing this crime will target their victims and do their best to obtain PINs for the victims bank cards. If they gain access to victims accounts then the harm can be considerable.

“I advise that you keep handbags and wallets out of sight and secure while shopping.

“Paying attention to keeping your PIN private or investing a few pence in purse bells or a bungie cord are some simple precautions that will reduce the risk of your purse or wallet being stolen.”

Please report any suspicious activity to police by calling 999 if offenders are still in the area or 101 for a non-emergency issue.

Tips for keeping your bank cards safe can be found here: http://bit.ly/2LvlWUW

source https://www.yourcommunityalerts.co.uk/da/268994