Keep your jewelry close at hand when talking to strangers

Distraction thefts are on the rise in Bolton and Barrie. Tue., June 30, 2026. PHOTO: CTV NEWS

All that glitters is a gold mine for thieves.

A simple conversation could turn into a your jewelry being stolen before you realize it even happened.

This brazen distraction theft of stealing someone’s jewelry, while asking for directions, or complementing your garden, is on the rise, and it could be coming to a street near you.

Once the suspects get close, they leave fake replacements behind, and the victim doesn’t realize the swap has even happened until much later.

Barrie Police are investigating such a distraction theft reported on June 23.

A white SUV stopped in front of a 77-year-old woman’s home in the Ardagh Road and Ferndale Drive area while she was outside gardening.

The woman in the passenger seat engaged the senior in conversation, claiming she was a doctor and had been sent to check on someone.

As the victim approached the vehicle, the passenger grabbed her, quickly replacing her valuable jewelry with fakes before the SUV drove away.

No injuries were reported.

However, this isn’t the first time it’s happened in this area.

Two distraction thefts targeting seniors had the Caledon Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) warning the public in the Bolton area on May 4

OPP were called to a theft at around 2 p.m. in the James Street area and then at 3:30 p.m., they were called to a second report of theft in the Prescott Drive area of Bolton.

In both calls, the suspects targeted elderly people walking alone, wearing jewelry, and asked for help with directions.

These thieves count on people being polite. They keep the conversation going to create enough confusion to distract their victim long enough to steal from them without attracting any attention.

This may sound too obvious to be true.

But in the moment, it may not seem suspicious at all. That’s why these thefts work. Distraction thefts can happen anywhere – parking lots, stores, and even in your front yard.

Trust your instincts. If someone you don’t know moves in too close, step back.

End the conversation.

Walk away.