The Vancouver Police Department arrested two suspects after a woman allegedly stole jewelry from an 87-year-old man.
In footage from a nearby CCTV camera, police said a car is seen approaching the victim, and the woman starts a conversation with him.
The woman shakes his hand and places jewelry, later found to be fake, on his wrist before getting back in her vehicle.
After she left, the elderly man noticed that she had stolen his ring when she shook his hand, so he called the authorities.
Suspects Arrested
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It took two days for the Vancouver Police Department to locate the woman and the man she was with, who sat in the car while the robbery occurred.
The car was found Oct. 9 near Olympic Village, and quickly after, the man and woman were detained.
Vancouver Police were able to locate them because the CCTV captured their license plate.
The suspects’ names have not yet been publicly identified, nor have the charges. Detectives are still investigating the incident.
Being Careful
“Distraction theft suspects will often appear friendly and make excuses to get close to their victims,” Vancouver Sergeant Adam Donaldson said in a press release.
To protect yourself from robbers, the Vancouver Police Department advises residents to be wary of strangers standing close or trying to touch you, and not allowing strangers to touch your items.
In some areas of Canada, there’s been a spike in distraction thefts similar to the one in Vancouver.
Distraction Thefts in Canada
Peel Regional Police reported that a whopping 266 distraction thefts have occurred since Jan. 1 — 77% of which have involved jewelry, chain pendants, and similar items.
This is a massive increase since 2024, when only 25 distraction thefts were reported; in 2025, this number rose to 222.
In Toronto, the gap is even wider. The Toronto Police Service saw 28 distraction thefts in 2024 and 374 in 2025 — a spike of over 1,200%.
The Vancouver Police Department issued a similar warning to residents, particularly elders, at a press conference in July. That month, an 88-year-old woman’s family heirlooms were stolen when a car approached her house. She was standing outside, and the suspect in the car grabbed her wrist and swapped her necklaces.
In all three areas, distraction thefts reportedly occur most commonly in the mid-mornings or afternoons when it’s light out.
Many suspects may feel comfortable during the day because the goal is for victims not to notice until they’re gone.
Yet still, in many incidents, the robbers target senior citizens with jewelry as they are less likely to be able to fight back if they notice.