Shenoy Nagar resident Sushila Rajaraman (62) was recently taken for a ride, literally, while travelling in a share autorickshaw from Aminjikarai to T. Nagar.
Three of her women co-passengers, travelling with a child, sought her help to open a bag of chocolates for the infant.
As soon as Sushila did so, she said, she felt somewhat dazed, and remained partially senseless for the rest of the ride. When she reached her destination and opened her bag, her wallet was missing.
Sushila, the police said, was a victim of one of the many modes of theft by attention diversion. Such cases were on the rise in the city, they said.
“In most reported cases, the thieves lurked outside banks, jewellery stores or registrar offices, and then followed their potential victims. They diverted their attention and fled with the victims’ valuables by pointing out a non-existent flat tyre, or sometimes even spraying a chemical substance on their back in order to create discomfort,” said an officer who investigated such cases.
In a recent case in Virugambakkam, a 70-year-old man was robbed of 120 sovereigns of gold jewellery he had just taken from his bank deposit box for a wedding in the family. The culprits used the flat tyre ruse to deceive him.
Police officers said it was important to be doubly cautious while withdrawing large sums of money from ATMs/banks, or while transporting large quantities of gold jewellery.
“Take a trusted person along while transporting gold or cash in bulk from banks, jewellery store or elsewhere,” said a police officer.
There were also several cases of money and valuables gone missing after being carelessly left inside two-wheeler boxes or even inside cars.
In the Virugambakkam incident, the suspect was apprehended by the police and the gold jewellery recovered.
But not all victims of such thefts are lucky as the recovery rate in attention-diversion cases is extremely poor.
Gang from Iran held
In April 2013, a gang of six men of Iran descent, operating in the city under the guise of policemen in plainclothes, was rounded up.
They had cheated over 30 women in places like Adyar, Nungambakkam and T. Nagar, and stolen over 100 sovereigns of gold jewellery.
The gang also operated in other parts of the State, the police said.
