Police warn 'heartbreaking' distraction thefts could rise in the summer

CBC

22-06-2025

Social Sharing
Police in the Lower Mainland are warning the longer, brighter days of summer mean distraction thefts, in which robbers quickly try to confuse victims while stealing from them, are expected to increase.
Jewelry, valuables and money are often stolen in the thefts, which have been a problem for years, according to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD).
Richard Jeha, a hairstylist and owner of Richard Jeha Salon, said he was robbed of treasured jewelry — a bracelet from a loved one and a cross on a gold chain — that he was wearing, while walking his dog in Vancouver's Kerrisdale neighbourhood earlier this month.
Jeha said it was still light out when he was approached by a woman offering him a strange-looking ring. She proceeded to ask him for the bracelet he was wearing.
It was a gift from a loved one in Lebanon, Jeha told CBC's On the Coast.
The woman said her husband, waiting in a nearby car with a small child, would pay for Jeha's bracelet.
"I said, 'No, no, no, I don't want any of that.' ... Anyway, she came from behind me, grabbed my elbow and pushed it into his window."
The man in the vehicle grabbed Jeha's hand, which the woman was holding, and slid his hand under the bracelet.
"He put his finger and just yanked it off me," Jeha said.
The man also stole Jeha's cross necklace, which he had had since he was five years old.
Jeha tried to yell at the couple, but to no avail.
"It wasn't more than a minute or so that she's in the car, and they took off."
Two boys helped Jeha call 911 after the incident.
Police concerned about distraction thefts
The VPD said the incident is very similar to other distraction thefts, however sometimes people aren't even aware they're being robbed.
"This has been going on for years and years and years. It's a very sophisticated group that's doing this," Const. Tania Visintin said.
About 70 cases of distraction theft have been reported to VPD since the beginning of the year, according to Visintin.
She said distraction thefts commonly occur in residential areas; the south and southeast parts of Vancouver are particular hotspots for this type of crime, possibly because there are more homes.
Visintin said a common strategy the robbers use is to approach a victim with a sob story. She noted they can come up to victims in yards or even on porches or patios.
"It's not just one group; it's several groups, so it does make catching them very difficult for us. But because there's such an increase right now, we're doing a lot of work, especially behind the scenes, a lot of covert things that I can't unfortunately speak about," Visintin said.
"We're taking this as a priority because these are innocent people that are getting targeted, and it's very heartbreaking to see."
Police in other Lower Mainland cities have also sent out warnings about distraction thefts.
Burnaby RCMP said three thefts in recent weeks have resulted in two victims losing family heirlooms.
In March, Surrey Police Service noted there had been more than a dozen incidents of distraction theft in the first three months of the year.
If you are approached by a stranger and feel uncomfortable, police recommend yelling and making noise to try attract the attention of others nearby.
Jeha said he wished he would have not visibly worn his cross over his shirt.
"That was something, a well-learned lesson."