CHICAGO — Two men are stealing and shopping with the credit cards of senior citizen women on the Northwest Side in a ruse where one man creates a diversion so the other can lift a wallet or purse, police said.
Two incidents have occurred so far, officers warned in a community alert from the Albany Park police district Wednesday.pl
In the thefts, the men target women shopping at a grocery store. One creates a diversion while the other takes a wallet or change purse out of the woman's purse. Stolen credit or debit cards then are used by different female offenders at nearby department stores to make fraudulent purchases, according to the alert.
In both incidents, the men drove away from the scene in a light blue minivan.
The thefts occurred about 3:30 p.m. Monday and about 2:30 p.m. Dec. 6 in the 3500 block of North Elston Avenue in Avondale, officials said.
One man is described as black, about 40 to 50 years old, between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-9, with a shaved head and wearing a black coat, dark-colored sweater and jeans. The other man is described as black, between 40 and 50 years old, between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-9, with a light mustache and goatee, and wearing a tan jacket and jeans, according to police.
Police ask anyone with information to call 312-744-8263.
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