A rash of thefts at gas stations has spread across the nation in recent months. The station’s themselves, however, are not the targets of these bold acts. Instead, brazen thieves are targeting women standing alone at the pump. Will you be next? Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump
Here’s how this sneaky scheme unfolds: Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump
Criminals will monitor drivers entering gas stations. When they spot a woman driving alone, they watch to see if she takes her purse with her when she exits the vehicle. If not, they look carefully to see if she locks her car doors. Should the doors remain unlocked while the driver begins refueling her vehicle, a criminal will use the distraction to enter her vehicle from the other side.
A purse thief stays low to the ground to avoid detection, opens the car door just enough to gain access to the vehicle’s interior, and then carefully extracts the purse left inside. Once a thief has the purse, the criminal immediately hops into a nearby vehicle, possibly with a getaway driver, and leaves the station. By the time the owner of the purse discovers that it’s missing, the criminal that stole it is long gone.
Don’t give these thieves the chance to steal what’s yours.
Keep your car doors locked at all times, whether you’re inside or outside of the vehicle. It doesn’t matter if you’ll be away from your car for only a few moments or if you’ll be a short distance away. If you give thieves the chance to steal from you, for however long that opportunity exists, they’ll take advantage of it.
It might be more convenient to leave a car door unlocked for a short time for a variety of reasons, but thieves take notice of these windows of opportunity. Even if you don’t believe you’re at risk, a thief might know otherwise. You likely won’t discover you’ve been targeted by thieves until it’s too late.
One of best ways to defeat a criminal intent on covertly stealing valuables from your vehicle is to prevent easy access to them.
Locking your doors is a simple act. It takes only a second, but it creates a barrier that will shut down a thief looking for an easy target. The convenience of leaving a door unlocked, for however long you might leave it unlocked, can be costly. Don’t let that convenience turn into a substantial loss.
Always lock your car doors. It will help keep your valuables where they belong – in your possession.
Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump
Thieves Targeting Women at the Gas Pump