Bethel Park police have issued a warning of an increase in purse thefts targeting distracted women.
The police department reported three such incidents over the past weekend.
“Women leaving their purses open in their shopping carts are being targeted by organized groups,” police officials wrote in a social media post.
Some people in the group will work to distract their victim, police said, while another steals their wallet from their unattended purse. By the time their victims reach the register to check out, the thieves may have used their credit cards to rack up thousands of dollars in charges, police said.
Thefts happened this weekend at the Giant Eagle and Walmart stores along Route 88, or Library Road, and the Giant Eagle Market District on Oxford Drive, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV.
In many of these incidents, the suspects are female with foreign accents, police said. They wear hats and face masks to hide their appearance.
The groups suspected in these thefts, police said, are often from out of state and do not stay in the area long.
“Please be aware of your surroundings, and never leave your purse open and unattended,” the police department said.
They urged anyone who may notice suspicious behavior to alert the police immediately.
