Warning After Thieves Target Purses At Grocery Stores

 We've all heard or seen those news stories about thieves targeting distracted shoppers at the supermarket. The thieves swipe their pocketbook or wallet right out from under the unsuspecting shoppers. But how are they doing it? Is it really that easy? And how can you protect yourself against these grocery store purse snatchers?

I have a friend in her nineties who went grocery shopping one day like she always does, but when she got to the check-out register she didn't have her wallet in her purse. She knew she had it with her, but her wallet wasn't there. It was gone. The grocery store checker sympathetically suggested that perhaps my older friend had simply misplaced her wallet, but my friend knew that was not the case. She insisted that she must have been robbed. When the store management checked their security footage, they called her to let her know she had been right! She'd been inches away from the thief who quickly reached in and grabbed her wallet out of her purse, and she never suspected a thing until she went to pay for her groceries.

Unfortunately, this has become more and more common nowadays. Especially with people distracted by their smartphones, caring for small kids or even answering a stranger who approached asking for help--there are more distractions that can make shoppers a target for thieves. Bill Stanton is a security consultant and he wanted to show just how easy it is for robbers to swipe a wallet.

He went out to a grocery store with his undercover accomplice and they pulled the classic distract and take technique. Bill would talk to the unsuspecting customer while his assistant would use that time to quickly 'steal' the stranger's purse or wallet.

When Bill informed the shopper that he was with the TV show, Inside Edition, everyone was shocked at how easily and quickly a crime could have happened. Bill left the shoppers with some important tips, such as never leaving a handbag or wallet in your cart, and always carrying a tote on your shoulder. We all need to be reminded of these dangers and take care to make sure we aren't targeted y sneaky theives.

WATCH: How to Avoid Grocery Store Purse Snatchers

Credit: Inside Edition

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