Everyday, routine activities – like going to the ATM or getting gas – can become crime scenes of low-level offenses that create major headaches and financial loss. Someone watches a bank or mall customer with their head in their phone. A seemingly friendly tip to use a tap card at an ATM that’s glued shut.
A phony good Samaritan says you dropped a wallet at the gas pump or a cheerful, chatty chap can’t stop complimenting your outfit. These are all part of street-level crime trends designed to prey on distracted victims to grab a purse, phone or wallet and take off. All they need is a few seconds, in most instances.
These three crime trends, known as “jugging,” “tap and glue” and “sliders,” have been around for decades, but have evolved and taken on new shapes, said Kevin Coffey, a travel risk trainer and consultant who was a 35-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.
“What’s old is new. It’s like pickpockets. They’ve been around forever, but they’re coming up with new ways to be able to engage folks to steal property,” Coffey told Fox News Digital. “Most of them want an easy way to grab a purse, a wallet or a phone. They don’t want to engage in violence. They want to grab something and run.”
Let’s start with hugging. Criminals will wait in parking lots of malls, stores and banks to pick their prey, who are typically distracted or fumbling with bags, Coffey said.
“The thieves look for people who have items on them,” he said. “It’s not just the elderly. They’re now looking for people who are younger who maybe came out of a high-end purse store or just bought an iPhone. Everyone is a prime victim today when they have something of value.” Coffey said the thieves “size people up” to see if they have their heads in the clouds and how much property they have on them. (READ MORE)
