Gold necklace swapped out for a fake one during distraction theft

Fake gold jewelry stolen during a distraction theft in Waterloo Region. (Ashley Bacon/CTV News)

Guelph Police say a gold chain was stolen off a man’s neck on Wednesday afternoon.

The victim told Guelph Police he was in his driveway, by Waverley Dr. and Dumbarton St., when an older grey Dodge Caravan with two women inside pulled up around 12:30 p.m. They asked him for directions to a church and, once he did, one of the women hugged and thanked the man. At the same time, she took the victim’s gold necklace and replaced with a fake one.

The man only realized it was gone once they drove off.

The stolen necklace was valued around $3,000.

The victim said both the women had Middle Eastern accents and looked to be in their 40s. They were last seen driving away on Dumbarton St. towards Waverly Dr.

Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Konrad Babol at 519-824-1212, ext. 7189, or email [e-mail].

Not an isolated incident

A similar incident was reported to Guelph Police on Aug. 14.

The victim was walking in the area of Starwood Drive and Watson Parkway North, when a white four-door SUV drove up and a woman inside called out to the victim. She claimed it was her mother’s birthday and she was giving out gold to celebrate. When the victim approached the vehicle, the woman allegedly put a white cloth in the victim’s hand with several gold items inside.

After the vehicle left, the victim noticed that her bangle bracelets had been taken off her wrists.

Police described the bangles as 22K gold with a diamond-shaped pattern, and were valued at $6,000.

Waterloo Regional Police have also noticed an increase in distraction thefts, especially those targeting older adults.

They said 15 incidents have been reported to them since June.

One of the victims was an 86-year-old woman who said a group of strangers in a vehicle asked her for directions. A young woman in the backseat urged her to come closer. When she did, the young woman replaced her real gold necklace with a fake one.

“They try to invite the [victim] closer into either a vehicle or closer to themselves, where they have that opportunity to perhaps commit the crime,” explained WRPS Const. Chris Iden.

He urged people to share these stories, in hopes of prevent further thefts.

Victims are asked to take note of what the suspects looked like, the vehicle they were driving and its licence plate. That information could help police track down the suspects.