Thieves working alone or in groups are looking for people who leave a purse or other valuables in their cars, Plano Police said in a social media post.
Within seconds, the thief will smash a car window and steal a purse, then speed away, police said. Many of the victims are women.
A victim was targeted on Dec. 2 as she dropped off her toddler at school, police said. As she returned to her car, a dark-colored SUV quickly backed out of a parking space next to her and nearly hit her and her other two children as it sped away. The victim then noticed that her front passenger side window was shattered, and her purse was stolen.
The suspect then went to a drive-through lane of a local bank to cash a fraudulent check.
“Once these individuals have your information, they will enlist the help of an associate that looks similar to the picture on your driver’s license,” the Facebook post states.
With your credit cards and checkbook in hand, they’ll visit your bank and pose as you, police said. The criminal will drive up to an outside lane of the drive-through at your bank, possibly wearing sunglasses so that they are not clearly seen, according to police.
Using your driver’s license or other valid ID, the criminal usually tries to make a withdrawal of about $1,000 to not raise suspicion, police said.
“These individuals will keep hitting banks with your information until finally someone recognizes them as a fraud and asks them to come inside to verify their account…
