Cops: Trio Of Credit Card Thieves Targeting Distracted Shoppers

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is looking for some help identifying a trio of women it says has been stealing credit cards from shoppers at local grocery stores.

The trio’s crime spree began in February, the sheriff’s office wrote in an email to media. The most recent theft attributed to the three took place on Dec. 15.

The women, detectives say, target shoppers at Aldi and Winn-Dixie stores in Clearwater and Seminole and swipe their cards from open purses and wallets. Once they have the cards in hand, the women then go on shopping sprees at area Target and Walmart stores throughout Pinellas County.

“The suspects enter grocery stores and look for opportune times to remove wallets from open purses left unattended on the upper carrier of grocery carts or being carried by unsuspecting shoppers that are momentarily pre-occupied, usually looking in the produce or freezer coolers,” the email stated. “The suspects appear to target elderly females who are shopping alone.”

The women are described as:

• Suspect 1 – A black female with a medium build and short black hair. She was last seen wearing pink nursing scrub pants and a blue print design nursing scrub shirt.

• Suspect 2 – A black, heavy set female with long straight black hair. She was last seen wearing red nursing scrub pants and a white nursing scrub shirt with an unknown print. She also appears to walk with a limp and has been caught on surveillance in a long, dark dress in the past.
• Suspect 3 – A black, heavy set female who wears her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing a short sleeve plaid striped button down shirt.

The women have been seen driving a new model silver Chrysler SUV or mini-van.

Anyone with information about the woman is asked to call Det. Creaser at 727-582-6200 . Tips may also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS or online at www.crimestoppersofpinellas.org.

Photos courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office