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West Los Angeles Theft detectives have noticed a trend in thefts occurring inside grocery stores. The targeted victim is usually an elderly female who leaves her purse unattended in the shopping cart while she is shopping, allowing the suspect to remove the victim’s wallet from her purse without being noticed.

Some suspects also work in pairs. One of the suspects distracts the victim by asking questions about a particular product, while the other suspect removes the victim’s wallet from the unattended purse. This theft is not noticed until the victim has finished shopping and is at the checkout stand. The victim then thinks they left their wallet at home.

Shoppers are cautioned to never leave their purse or other valuable items unattended in a public setting such as a grocery store. Many of these wallet thefts lead to additional crimes of Forgery and Identity Theft. It is important for victims to immediately report the theft to police, and report stolen credit cards and checks to their banking institution, in order to prevent future financial crimes from occurring. Additionally, many stores have excellent surveillance systems, and by notifying the store manager of the crime, video evidence of the suspects can be retrieved.