Shopper Beware! Erev Yom Tov and School Shopping Season Has Thieves on the Lookout for a Good Deal

By M.C. Millman

Shomrim has released yet another wanted poster, this time for a pair of thieves working in sync to steal from a customer focused more on shopping than the pocketbook she left wide open in her wagon. 

The pair worked in tandem, with one going inside to choose his target, making his rounds of the store’s aisles, and checking out the shoppers, their shopping wagons, strollers, and their behavior. After choosing his target, he informed his partner which aisle she would find their hapless victim shopping in. Within a few seconds, the wide-open pocketbook was relieved of a large wad of cash, as the pair made off with nearly one thousand dollars in cash.

“Never leave pocketbooks or valuables in a store unattended,” the manager from the store where the recent incident occurred told BoroPark24. “It takes less than ten seconds for someone to take it.” 

“Awareness is key when shopping,” Motty Brauner, Shomrim Coordinator, advises BoroPark24 readers. “There’s still school shopping to get done, plus it’s Erev Yom Tov, and everyone is focused on finishing their shopping, but don’t leave a pocketbook unattended. Don’t leave a pocketbook wide open. Keep your pocketbook on your person - not in your shopping cart or stroller. And, don’t leave cash where prying eyes can spot it or a wallet where someone can take it and slip out of the store before you realize.”