Thieves have been targeting people withdrawing cash from the bank, following them, then stealing their money.
With Christmas fast approaching and many finishing up their holiday shopping, there is another thing shoppers should be wary of: jugging, or in other words, stealing.
Thieves have been targeting people leaving the bank with cash and following them to their next location, creating a ruse to distract them, and then stealing their money.
One driver says she had just withdrawn $20,000 from a bank to make a down payment on a house. Police believe she was being watched at the bank by people in another car and followed to a mall. They say a female member of the group approached the victim’s car and got her attention by asking if she had dropped money.
The victim got out of the car looking for a five-dollar bill before an accomplice reached into the open car door and grabbed the woman’s purse with the $20,000 in it.
Some thieves do not bother creating a distraction.
Another driver told police he withdrew $1,000 from the bank. A group of men followed him, pulled up next to him, smashed the window, and took an envelope with the money in it.
Officer Ryan Railsback of Riverside Police in California shared tips with Inside Edition for holiday shoppers.
“Number one, try not to withdraw that large amount of money in cash. Get it in a check, some other type of format. Number two, if you have to, take somebody with you. Number three, just be aware of your surroundings,” Railsback says.
Experts say if you see someone following you, go to the nearest police station and call 911.
