Keep handbags out of harm’s way
Brakpan police are warning female shoppers to keep their handbags on them at all times and be wary of strangers engaging in conversation with them.
This follows several incidents where handbags have been stolen. One of these incidents occurred at the Mall@Carnival on Saturday, August 1.
A woman was grocery shopping with her husband when she was approached by another woman claiming to sell watches.
They took the conversation outside where the shopper was asked to hold the seller’s handbag. When the victim attempted to return the seller’s handbag, the suspect grabbed both her own and the victim’s handbag before running away.
“Thieves sometimes engage with people, wait until their guard is down and then they strike,” said Capt Joep Joubert, spokesperson for the Brakpan Police Station commander.
Joubert also added that women shouldn’t put their handbags on their vehicle’s roof, even for a short period of time.
“Leaving a handbag unattended on a vehicle’s roof or in a shopping trolley is an invitation to thieves. Therefore, it’s not a planned crime, but rather an opportunity for crime to be committed.”
“It only takes seconds for a thief to snatch a handbag and run away with it.”
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