Tag team thieves target purses

Police have a warning about a new type of purse snatching.<br/>Criminals aren't grabbing them off your arm or knocking you down to get your purse. Instead, they use a tag-team approach.<br/><br/>One

Wednesday, July 5th 2006, 4:15 pm

By: News On 6

Police have a warning about a new type of purse snatching.
Criminals aren't grabbing them off your arm or knocking you down to get your purse. Instead, they use a tag-team approach.

One distracts the victim, while the other makes off with the goods.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright explains how you can avoid becoming the next victim.

Trina Roberts was at the make-up counter at the Wal-Mart at 81st and Lewis when a woman asked her a question.

When she turned to answer the woman, a man reached into her purse, which was in the shopping cart and took her wallet.

Trina chased down the woman and confronted her.

"I told her to give it back," says Roberts. "She said she didn't take it, but, would show me who did. We were walking back and some people with carts got in between us and she took off and I didn't see which way she went."

Stealing purses from shopping carts isn't anything new as surveillance video shows, but police are seeing an increase in these distraction cases.

The thieves use the stolen credit cards and checks within 30 minutes and run up huge bills. Sometimes, the loss is irreplaceable.

Detective Marty Irwin of the Tulsa Police Department says, "I have a case where they took her credit card, check book but, her grandmother had passed away and she had her antique jewelry in the purse and it was never recovered."

Police say it's best not to carry a purse at all, put your ID, check or credit card in your pocket to shop.

If you must carry it, don't leave it unattended for a moment.

If you have to have your purse in your cart, make sure it's zipped and snapped so no one can grab inside it and if someone tries to distract you, the first thing you should do is put your hand on your purse.

Trina says purse snatchings are more than just an inconvenience, they can be nerve-wracking.

Roberts says, "For a couple of weeks, I felt like, they have my address, everything about me and my kids, will they come by my house?"

Don't carry your social security card in your purse and make a copy of everything in your wallet, front and back, every few months so you'll quickly know which credit card companies to call.

It's also best to carry your keys on you, because if they're in your purse when it gets stolen. First, you can't drive home and second, you'll be out hundreds of dollars to change the locks on your home since they'll have your address.