
Unsuspecting shoppers in multiple states fall victim to 'distraction thefts'
Fox News
Utah, Nevada, and Idaho have seen a marked rise in "interstate crime groups." The transient criminals are often affiliated with Romanian and South American groups.
Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital. Email story tips to christina.coulter@fox.com.
"Predominantly, we have these suspects working in groups of two or three entering business establishments," Bahlmann said on Wednesday. "One person will engage – they'll identify a target, they'll look for a person that has a purse or a wallet that's in the shopping cart or readily accessible."
"One of the people will engage the target, ask them a question about the product, something to divert their attention away from that cart," he continued. "Then another person will pull something out of the cart."