Watch for sting, police warn public

By TAMARA CHERRY, SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 25th October 2008, 3:33am

An elderly woman goes to the bank and takes out some cash -- likely, a lot of cash. Next thing she knows, she has a flat tire.

A stranger offers help but, instead of fixing the tire, takes off with her purse.

This is the modus operandi for a recent rash of "distraction thefts" in the city's east end, Toronto Police Det.-Sgt. Rick Searl said yesterday.

Last month, a 75-year-old woman and her husband were driving east on Eglinton Ave. after withdrawing money from a TD-Canada Trust at Kennedy and Eglinton Aves. when they noticed the flat.

A stranger offering help distracted the woman by pointing to loonies on the floor of her car while her husband worked on the tire, Searl said.

"He had followed them," he said. "When she looked up, because she had bent down to get the money, the guy was gone and so was her purse."

Last Thursday, a 62-year-old woman took out "a large sum of cash" at the same bank, before noticing she had a flat tire and pulling over on Kennedy Rd.

A lady, about 65, got out of a white car and offered help. The victim refused before a man approached, pulled a map in front of her face and asked for directions.

"While he distracted her, she believes the old lady reached inside and grabbed her purse," Searl said.

The next day, a gas station owner, 48, went home to feed his kids lunch near Lawrence and Pharmacy Aves. He had about $20,000 cash ready for deposit on his way back to work.

But when he started driving away from home, a man standing on the corner pointed to his flat tire and offered help, Searl said.

Moments later, the bandit was gone with the man's wallet and bank deposit.

"These are little gangs that work on this," Searl said. "They're working in collusion with probably two or three of them, at least, to pull this off."

In other distraction thefts, suspects pretended to spill ketchup or mustard on the victims' clothing, or caused minor collisions to get victims out of their vehicles before taking off with money.