Laurabennett

i had my purse stolen from me a few days ago, and i did explain exactly what happened on another section of this site, but I think its well worth mentioning it again on here as this is the right forum to do so. .

It all started on the 6th of september 2013.

my purse was taken; they also got my door keys and mobile phone. I attach my keys to my purse and covered it inside my handbag. Ive always done this for years, but I was on a business trip and had to dress accordingly, and my bag was a shoulder bag with a zip fastening under the flap. In a hurry to get tickets, after fumbling around with money and cards i just shoved my purse back in my bag leaving the main zipper open and did the flap popper up and walked briskly to the station; where it was crowded.. When on the metro train, i heard a zipper being undone (where my phone was); and keys jiggling, My bag bumped against my side a couple of times; and then i heard the zipper noise again. . . i pulled my handbag in front of me, and noticed the flap was open slightly, so i checked it, and the main zipper was done up; so thought nothing of it, until i had to go through the ticket barrier..

Looking back on the situation, i think it was the woman standing next to me, she had a fairly long coat she was wearing and another traveller said she had her coat draped over my handbag; but they didnt think anything of it, and didnt see her take my purse keys and phone....the bumping of my handbag against me i think was because of the cloth covering my purse; it must of got stuck on my bag; but i dont know why she did the main zipper up


on Sep 7, 13 at 1:01am

my other business associate and friend also had her purse stolen on the same metro line as when my purse was taken. This time on the busy train, a couple of women bumped into her deliberately to knock her off balance a little bit, so she would have to let go of her handbag and move her hand to grab a hand rail. The casually dressed women carried on bumping and falling onto my friend; they virtually emptied her entire handbag..She could do nothing as she was pressed up against people and her handbag gradually and slowly slipped away from her sight and was also covered by a coat or something. she obviously wasnt thinking about her handbag at the time. she also heard jiggling of keys and the sound of zippers being moved, but couldnt let go of the rail in case she fell over - she was wearing heels. they had stolen her keys, purse, phone, expensive pen, some makeup and chequebook. They also even got papers that had account details on it she kept those papers in the zipped back pocket that was at the back of her handbag against her hip .

they actually stayed next to her still bumping into her, until she got to the stop she needed....

our handbags were similar; but she didnt just shove her purse back into her bag when she got tickets.. she actually put her purse away properly, but someone asked to borrow a pen from her just as she was closing her bag. so she opened her bag and got the pen out from under her purse. then when she got the pen back she had to take her purse back out to put the pen back; then re-close her handbag.

we think the person who wanted to borrow the pen was part of it... and obviously saw how large her purse was and the fact she had a lot of cash and cards

on Sep 8, 13 at 2:29pm

Have also been talking to someone today, who also had her purse stolen in this way, I met her while I was in Paris and we stay in contact.

After it happened, she was saying exactly how they are doing this; because she saw it happen to a couple of other people. All of which fit the description of smartly dressed businesswomen wearing a shoulderbag that dangles to the side.

Either a young woman on her own or a couple, will go up to the businesswoman just after she has got her tickets and is putting them away, and distract her to borrow a pen; they will wait until she has put her purse in her bag so they can see how it is fastened and where in the bag it is. Then the unfortunate woman has to take her purse back out to get to a pen, and tats wen the the other girl or couple will catch a quick peek into her bag to see what else they can get to.

Often when the businesswoman puts her pen back, she will be in a hurry and distracted. and may forget to close her bag properly. One of the group will follow her and be playing on a phone. On the train thats when you see more of the group gather around the woman, and they will close in and start bumping into her and stumbling; this is to distract her more and make her move her hand from her bag to steady herself. The ones behind her, will pull on her handbag strap a litle bit so her bag slowly and gently slips away from her side, then they cover the handbag with a coat or something, and then start undoing it and taking everything.

If the purse has been covered by a cloth or something, they will leave this dangling from the bag, as a symbol that she has been ''done''. They fasten the handbag again so the woman wont become suspicious of all that bumping and moving. Until its time to go through the barrier; then you hear it........ omg my purse .. someones taken my purse ....

ive now also changed my handbag, and wont be using the shoulderbag ever again... Im still going to keep covering my purse though, and make sure that nothing is dangling from my bag before i get on or off of trains or away from crowded areas