In the Las Vegas area, criminals are using their acting skills to steal from unsuspecting parkers. At news3LV.com, it’s reported that the perpetrators approach people in parking lots and convince the victims that a fender bender has occurred. The thieves blame the accident on the victims and ask for cash to repair the damage.
One 90-year-old man lost hundreds of dollars because after he gave the criminals all the cash he was carrying he went with them to his ATM to get more money. That’s when they stole his debit card and pin.
The con-artists sounded convincing. “They pulled up beside me and I rolled down my window and said, ‘what’s the problem?'” he noted. “They said, well, you backed into me,” he continued.
There are a million books on why having a positive attitude makes life better, but in this situation, a healthy dose of suspicion is much better. If someone approaches me in a parking lot I’m going to back up quickly and walk away. No matter how much I might be tempted to get involved in whatever concern they present, the most I’m going to do is go in the store or call the authorities and ask for help.
Further, if someone in a parking lot approaches my window I’m leaving the window up and driving away as fast as I can. I consider any unsolicited approach to be a possible danger. It’s a red flag.
It’s no surprise the perpetrators toarget the elderly. Who else is going to believe they’ve struck another car when they really haven’t?
I don’t think this type of crime is going on in parking lots everywhere and all the time, but I do think signage is in order. After the initial hunt for parking, people switch to passive mode. They stop paying attention to their surroundings and they need to be reminded that that’s a bad idea.
Read the article here.
