Local spike in wallet thefts may be work of traveling criminals

A dramatic spike in wallet thefts were reported in Longmont recently.

Last month, the Longmont Police Department, or LPD, received multiple, similar reports of stolen wallets within a short amount of time, according to Community Service Officer Terry Roush.

Roush believes the recent uptick in wallet thefts in Longmont was likely the work of a traveling group of individuals who are dedicated to committing this kind of crime. 

“Most of these types of crimes are committed by groups that travel through the United States,” Roush said. “They hit an area fairly hard and then they move on.” 

The sharp increase in wallet thefts that were reported to LPD dropped off suddenly towards the end of last month, however, the groups who travel around committing these crimes work cyclically, often returning to cities they’ve visited before, Roush said. 

Suspicions of a traveling group’s recent visit to Longmont notwithstanding, LPD has seen a gradual increase in the numbers of reported wallet and purse thefts over the past couple of years, according to LPD’s Communications and Marketing Manager Robin Ericson. 

As a result, LPD issued a press release last week warning the public against leaving their wallets and purses unattended in shopping carts in order to prevent becoming a victim of this kind of theft. 

The press release and Roush warn people against the “distract and grab” approach that a thief might use to stealthily remove wallets from open purses. 

“It’s an easy crime of opportunity. If you leave your purse in a cart, you can be easily distracted and, by being distracted, your wallet can easily be taken from your purse and then you don’t realize it’s gone until you get up to the cash register,” Roush said. 

A thief might try to distract their victims by bumping their cart or asking for help, the press release stated. 

LPD’s other tips to avoid becoming a victim of a wallet or purse theft are: 

- Close your purse every time you go into a retail store.

- Carry your purse or wallet on your person; do not place it in the cart.

- If you take a wallet into the store, do not leave it in the cart.

- Consider bringing a carabineer and clip the purse or wallet to the cart.

- If you do not have young children with you, use the child safety belt to fasten your purse in the cart.

- Zip or secure the bag closed.

Roush suggests that people steer away from bringing large bags to grocery or department stores and opt instead for carrying money in their pockets. She also recommends against hanging one’s bag from the back of a chair while dining out – another location that wallets and purses are often stolen from. 

The nature of wallet thefts make them difficult for police to solve, Roush said. 

When a wallet gets stolen, it’s common practice for the thief to immediately go to local stores and rack up large amounts of charges on the victim’s credit cards by buying prepaid Visa and phone cards, according to Roush. 

The thief has usually already made purchases using a victim’s credit or debit cards before the victim will realize their wallet is missing. From there, it depends on the policy of the victim’s bank whether or not they may receive some of that money back, Roush said. 

Recently, LPD had to close an unsolved wallet case due to a lack of evidence. 

During the rise in wallet thefts a couple of weeks ago, a woman had her wallet stolen from her purse at a clothing store in Longmont. By the time she realized her wallet was missing, a pair of thieves had used the stolen credit and debit cards to purchase over $8000.00 in phone cards and money cards at another Longmont retailer, according to LPD’s press release. 

Although LPD requested information from the public about this case and posted a photo of security footage of the suspects to Facebook, “it’s doubtful that we’ll find anyone in the Longmont area that would recognize (the suspects),” Roush said, seeing as they were likely part of a traveling criminal group.

In the midst of such instances in Longmont recently, LPD advises the community to follow their tips to avoid wallet thefts from happening to them.