Penticton purse snatchers eyeing shopping carts

Mounties are warning Pentictonites to keep their personal belongings close to them after a series of purse snatchings.

In a press release sent out Thursday morning, RCMP said they had responded to six reports of purses stolen from shopping carts since the beginning of 2022.

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In each of these instances, RCMP said the victim was unloading their groceries and had their bag stolen while it was unattended in the shopping cart. In some cases, their credit cards were used fraudulently.

“It only takes a second,” Const. Dayne Lyons, of the Penticton RCMP, said. “Before you put your groceries away, we encourage you to put your bag away first.”

For those who have a bag stolen, be sure to call police right away.

Then, RCMP said to call the bank to cancel your cards before they can be used fraudulently.

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“Never keep your SIN card or birth certificate in your bag unless absolutely necessary,” RCMP said.