Palwasha Zerghune knew something was amiss when she spotted unusual behaviour at her TD branch in Scarborough, Ont.
Zerghune, a manager of customer experience, saw an individual loitering in the branch, watching an elderly customer complete a cash withdrawal with one of her colleagues.
As the elderly customer started leaving the branch, the suspicious individual followed.
Because of her safety training, Zerghune suspected the elderly customer may have been at risk of a distraction theft, which is when a thief uses distraction techniques to rob an unsuspecting individual.
Zerghune sprang into action by calling the police and notifying global security teams at the Bank. At the same time, her colleague tried to subtly bring the elderly customer back into the branch to prevent them from leaving on their own.
“My colleague went to the customer and said he needed to give them a receipt from their transaction to take them away from the suspect,” she said.
That move helped prevent the elderly customer from potentially becoming a victim of distraction theft. Later that day, the suspect allegedly visited a variety of other local businesses and attempted to steal from other unassuming customers. Because of Zerghune and her team’s efforts, the police were able to track the suspect down and make an arrest.
“The biggest thing was communication and awareness – we work in such a large branch, but we were very observant and aware of who was in the branch and why they were there,” Zerghune said.
What is distraction theft?
In simple terms, distraction theft is when a person uses distraction tactics to catch their victims off guard and pull their focus away from what they're doing. Once distracted, a thief – or thieves – will proceed to steal items such as money, wallets, or other valuables.
Police warn that distraction theft is a concern across Canada, and can happen anywhere, including on the premises or outside of a store or business, like the entrance of a grocery store or a nearby parking lot. According to the Toronto Police Service, offenders often target people who are elderly or alone, and those who have exposed jewellery or other valuables on their person.
The Ontario Provincial Police have warned that distraction theft can happen quickly and comes in a variety of forms. Methods of distraction can include crowding, dropping money on the ground near the potential victim, striking up a conversation, asking for directions, or pretending there is something wrong with the target’s car.
In the context of banking, distraction theft can occur when a bad actor observes a customer withdrawing cash either from an ATM or service desk and then tries to rob them without them realizing it. The victim is often unaware they are being watched or targeted, and the perpetrator uses distraction tactics such as the ones noted above.
Distraction theft can also involve two perpetrators: One might watch a customer enter their banking PIN at an ATM, for example, then distract them by using a tactic such as dropping something at their feet, engaging in a conversation, or even pretending to fall. The other thief then quickly withdraws money from the distracted customer’s account, or steals their banking card to use later since they now know the PIN.
“We know that distraction theft groups often attempt to blend in with the physical environment,” said Tom Cummings, Senior Manager, Global Security at TD. “We have identified situations where thieves are surveilling customers and looking to identify lucrative or ‘easy’ targets.”
Cummings said that often, thieves will communicate amongst one another using cell phones and ear pods. Offenders may walk up to the ATM and make it look like they are conducting transactions, sit in the waiting area of a branch, or loiter in the customer area looking for customers who may have just accessed their safety deposit boxes or completed a cash withdrawal.
In the case that Zerghune assisted with, she said she does not think the elderly customer, nor any other customer at the branch, suspected an alleged thief was observing them.
This, she said, highlights the fact that the alleged criminals can be very discreet. “No one likely suspected anything, and no one likely noticed anything was going on,” she said.
How to protect yourself from distraction theft
Awareness is one step in protecting yourself from distraction theft, Cummings said. Speak to your loved ones about distraction theft and help them understand the risks and possible warning signs.
Cummings said it is also vital to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
“Be cautious of people who approach you in public spaces who are being overly friendly, helpful, or ask for your help. They may be trying to distract you,” he said.
“Also, never leave valuables unattended, and keep them secure and on your person. Whenever possible, store items in zippered pockets, pouches, or purses.”
If you feel like you are being targeted, Cummings said, yell or make noise to attract attention, and call 911.
Because distraction theft can happen anywhere, these safety recommendations are best practices for any environment where a person may be carrying valuables or has just completed a big purchase, including leaving a retail shopping centre.
At TD, colleagues are also taking additional precautions to help protect customers from distraction theft. Branch banking colleagues are trained to pay attention to everyone entering and spending time in the branch, and to report any suspicious activity.
“TD branch banking colleagues are trained to take note of individuals that are not engaging in business activity, and ask them the reason for their visit: for example, are they waiting for a scheduled appointment, or waiting for a spouse?” Cummings said.
“TD branch banking colleagues have dissuaded bank robberies and theft incidents by greeting and engaging offenders and taking away their anonymity.”
This hyperawareness is what Zerghune believes helped protect that elderly customer from a possible bad outcome. She said she feels proud of how she and her colleagues acted, and knows they likely helped protect other customers, too.
“We followed our training, and even though it was a tense situation, we got management and law enforcement involved, and it was the best possible outcome,” Zerghune said.