Earlier this month, a patron of the Panera Bread, located at 8510 E. 96th St., reported her wallet was stolen while she was dining at the restaurant. It appears the suspect(s) immediately traveled to the Super Target near 116th Street and Interstate 69 and used the victim’s credit cards to purchase $5,000 in gift cards.
Detectives believe the suspects are members of a well-organized theft gang. These gang members normally operate in groups of two or three. The group can be made up of males and females. They are normally well-dressed and use rental cars to better blend in to upscale communities. They specifically target lunch time eateries located near large retail stores. Most of their victims are female and usually involve thefts from purses or large handbags.
The Fishers Police Department offers the following safety tips:
- Always stay alert.
- Be aware of your surroundings and avoid becoming easily distracted (i.e. cell phones, laptop computers).
- Download the Relay App at com and immediately report suspicious activity.
- Always keep valuables visible.
- Purses and handbags should be held in your lap. Never hang your bag over the back of a chair.
- Make certain purses and handbags are kept closed. Zipper style bags are preferred.
- Set up fraud alerts on all credit/debit cards.
Immediately notify the police if you think you have become a victim. Do not wait until you get home. Time is critical in these cases. The sooner the police are notified the better the chance is the criminals will be caught.
Anyone with information regarding this crime should contact FPD Detective D. Nelson at (317) 496-2610.
“…used the victim’s credit cards to purchase $5,000 in gift cards….” and the cashier at Targets was like.. sure you wnat $5,000 on that…