West Vancouver seniors targeted in reported distraction thefts; police identify suspect
Posted August 22, 2019 9:23 am.
Last Updated August 22, 2019 9:51 am.
WEST VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Multiple incidents of apparent distraction theft have duped some West Vancouver seniors.
At least two people’s debit and credit cards have been used in “multiple fraudulent transactions,” police say.
Three different incidents took place on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The West Vancouver Police Department says in the first instance, around 1:30 p.m., a 94-year-old woman was apparently approached in a common hallway in her apartment building on Clyde Avenue near 13th Avenue by a man who began to strike up a conversation with her.
While she was distracted, the man is said to have stolen her wallet.
About two hours later, an 84-year-old woman reported being approached by a man in the same building. He convinced her to let him into her apartment, police say, where he then also stole the woman’s wallet.
About an hour later, around 4:45 p.m., police say people living in an apartment building on Water’s Edge Crescent — about two kilometres east of the first building — noticed a “suspicious man” inside who was trying to talk to residents.
“The man left the area after being confronted,” a release reads.
It’s unclear how much money was taken from the victims.
Police have identified a suspect.
