Woman warns others after elderly mom had wallet stolen in suspected scheme

Los Angeles-area resident Stacie Fox is speaking publicly about what recently happened to her elderly mother in hopes of preventing others from falling victim to the same theft scheme.

Fox said her 84-year-old mother was in her parked car a couple stores down from Trader Joe's on Town Center Way in Palm Desert getting ready to drive home after buying groceries late Sunday morning.

She said a woman knocked on her mother's passenger window and told her there was blood on her license plate, and offered to help her clean it up.

"While this is going on and my mom is cleaning off her license plate, somebody went into the passenger side, opened up the flap of her purse, and took her wallet out," said Fox. She added that her mother "didn't know anything had happened until she got home." Fox's mother reported to the incident to authorities.

Lieutenant Gustavo Araiza with the Palm Springs Police Department said this type of crime is known as distraction theft. "A lot of times they’re looking for their targets before they even come to the window," according to Lt. Araiza.

He recommends that if an individual ever has to exit their vehicle, it's important to make sure the door is locked. Lt. Araiza also said the best thing anyone can do is be aware of their surroundings.