Wallet stolen, emptied and returned

sf80 · 02-04-2012 10:30AM #1

I was in a store in Blanchardstown and between paying at the counter and getting back to the car my wallet had been stripped of cash, bank card and credit card.

I had my wallet in the side pocket of my jacket for a short period of time, literally into my side pocket at the top of an escalator, then out of that pocket and into my inside pocket at the bottom, so I think it was taken on the escalator ride down, which would have been the perfect time to take it and replace it minus cash and cards.

I know who was standing behind me on the escalator though; the guy who served me left the till after he had served me and walked behind myself and my girlfriend, then stood on the escalator right behind me.

On the escalator another member of staff was coming up, and the guy behind me said "ah, did you already get that thing?" to the guy coming up, and the guy coming up responded with "yeah, yeah I got it already". I think this was probably when it happened, and makes me think they were both in on it.

Of course, I have no proof and I doubt there are cameras watching that part of the store.

I haven't talked to anyone in the store yet (should I bother since it's just a hunch?). I'll mention it to the guards anyway in case they have more reports of something similar.

Run_to_da_hills · 02-04-2012 10:30AM

Go back to the store and ask for CCTV footage around where they stock Cornflakes, Wheetabix etc where the robber could have taken your wallet. More than likely the culprit is a serial offender.

CardBordWindow · 02-04-2012 10:35AM

Go back to the store, wait til closing, and follow the guy home. Then shít in his toaster, turn it on, and then leave.

funnilenough · 02-04-2012 10:47AM

seems strange alright,but why would someone rob a wallet,empty it and then risk getting caught by returning it to the original pocket?
check the cctv, you never know,you mite have dropped it.

if that doesnt help then i'd go with the "toaster plan".

Balmed Out · 02-04-2012 10:54AM

Are you sure it wasnt the wife?

dr.bollocko · 02-04-2012 10:56AM

They robbed you and insulted your crappy wallet.
Must be some crap wallet if they returned it.

AboutTwoFiddy · 02-04-2012 11:00AM

They'll have CCTV on the magic moving stairs for people tripping and falling and claiming compo etc. Don't assume anything in future.

antodeco · 02-04-2012 11:05AM

Maybe it was a magician. Nothing better than a decent card trick.

MarkR · 02-04-2012 11:07AM

So a crack team of pickpockets infiltrated a store in Blanchardstown, picked your pocket. Removed your cards and cash. Took the time to pop it back in so you wouldn't notice. While on a moving escalator.

I would like to see this cctv. Could be turned into a major motion picture. I'm thinking George Clooney and the rest of the lads could make Oceans eleventy billion out of this.

Quazzie · 02-04-2012 11:09AM

Why would someone pick your pocket on an escalator? If they get caught where can they go. It only goes one direction. Its not like they can exactly run away from you with any degree of success.

Seachmall · 02-04-2012 11:11AM

Out of curiosity, were they the stereotypical Roma Gypsies pickpockets or homegrown Irish pickpockets?

sf80 · 02-04-2012 11:33AM

My pocket was easy to get to, and I was just standing there on the escalator. It would have been a trivial task to take it and return it, no skill required.

I would have noticed it gone when I transferred it to the inside pocket, so putting it back was smart on their part.

The nationality of the people I suspect doesn't matter, but it wasn't gypsies; they were store employees

Born to Die · 02-04-2012 11:37AM

sf80 wrote: »

My pocket was easy to get to, and I was just standing there on the escalator. It would have been a trivial task to take it and return it, no skill required.

I would have noticed it gone when I transferred it to the inside pocket, so putting it back was smart on their part.

The nationality of the people I suspect doesn't matter, but it wasn't gypsies; they were store employees

Wouldn't you be better served by heading to the shop with a Garda and request to view the CCTV than posting here.

CardBordWindow · 02-04-2012 11:38AM

sf80 wrote: »

My pocket was easy to get to, and I was just standing there on the escalator. It would have been a trivial task to take it and return it, no skill required.

I would have noticed it gone when I transferred it to the inside pocket, so putting it back was smart on their part.

The nationality of the people I suspect doesn't matter, but it wasn't gypsies; they were store employees

The toaster dump doesn't discriminate by nationality.

02-04-2012 11:41AM

Now, I'm no expert pickpocket, but was this the longest escalator in the world or something? I'm assuming it would take longer than that to remove all credit cards!

sf80 · 02-04-2012 11:44AM

Born to Die wrote: »

Wouldn't you be better served by heading to the shop with a Garda and request to view the CCTV than posting here.

It's a discussion forum isn't it? You could apply your response to most threads started here.

My logic is that maybe someone has experienced something similar, this is a good place to share and find out. It's just a theory I have that's all circumstantial and I will have a chat with the guards. I didn't lose much, so my main reason for following up on it would be to just add to the information in case it's a regular scam.

sbsquarepants · 02-04-2012 11:49AM

sf80 wrote: »

My pocket was easy to get to, and I was just standing there on the escalator. It would have been a trivial task to take it and return it, no skill required.

I would have noticed it gone when I transferred it to the inside pocket, so putting it back was smart on their part.

The nationality of the people I suspect doesn't matter, but it wasn't gypsies; they were store employees

So let me get this straight. As well as being master pickpockets they could also see the future? This is all a very unlikely scenario OP.
Have you been at the mushrooms or something:D

Born to Die · 02-04-2012 11:49AM

sf80 wrote: »

It's a discussion forum isn't it? You could apply your response to most threads started here.

My logic is that maybe someone has experienced something similar, this is a good place to share and find out. It's just a theory I have that's all circumstantial and I will have a chat with the guards. I didn't lose much, so my main reason for following up on it would be to just add to the information in case it's a regular scam.

Fair enough but by going to the guards now with your theory you may help prevent it happening to someone else today.
Someone else may have gone to the guards with a similar theory.

sf80 · 02-04-2012 11:49AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Now, I'm no expert pickpocket, but was this the longest escalator in the world or something? I'm assuming it would take longer than that to remove all credit cards!

It was a long one, and I don't keep much in my wallet; it wouldn't take long. Plus the guy would have seen exactly where I put it

Seachmall · 02-04-2012 11:49AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Now, I'm no expert pickpocket, but was this the longest escalator in the world or something? I'm assuming it would take longer than that to remove all credit cards!

I don't think it would take much longer than 5 seconds to take the cards and money out.

sf80 wrote: »

My pocket was easy to get to, and I was just standing there on the escalator. It would have been a trivial task to take it and return it, no skill required.

I would have noticed it gone when I transferred it to the inside pocket, so putting it back was smart on their part.

The nationality of the people I suspect doesn't matter, but it wasn't gypsies; they were store employees

Most likely just opportunistic thieves, I can't imagine a pickpocket lifting wallets where they work.

Or maybe the wallet was lifted and replaced elsewhere by someone else.

sbsquarepants · 02-04-2012 11:53AM

Seachmall wrote: »

Most likely just opportunistic thieves, I can't imagine a pickpocket lifting wallets where they work.

Or risking being caught by putting the empty wallet back in someones pocket.
Makes no sense

sf80 · 02-04-2012 12:02PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Or risking being caught by putting the empty wallet back in someones pocket.
Makes no sense

Putting it back meant I didn't notice it for longer. I noticed in the car outside, but if I hadn't been looking for something so soon I wouldn't have noticed for hours.

I wouldn't be so suspicious if I'd lost the wallet completely, or if I'd just lost the bank card which I'd just used, but the credit card was definitely secure in the wallet as was the cash.

maximoose · 02-04-2012 12:04PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Now, I'm no expert pickpocket, but was this the longest escalator in the world or something? I'm assuming it would take longer than that to remove all credit cards!

The escalators at Blanch Shopping Centre (I assume this is where Op means and not somewhere in the town) are very long and extraordinarily slow

knowit12 · 02-04-2012 12:06PM

This is bloody shocking :O

Out in blanch nearly every week to do my shop and taught it was a safe shopping centre, you'd expect to hear a story like this in the city centre, but not in a shopping centre.

Sounds very dodge and most likely was the sh*t that served you.
Id most certainly go back to the shopping centre and speak to security and demand them to go through all the cameras, their bound to get some kind of info for you. You would be amazed at the amount of cameras they have all around that shopping centre.
I would also report it to the guards.

If it's not reported god only knows how many other people they will target.
Hopefully the little F**ker will be caught before he does the same to someone else.

Be sure to cancel all your cards..

Keep us updated on the outcome...

Seachmall · 02-04-2012 12:08PM

sf80 wrote: »

Putting it back meant I didn't notice it for longer. I noticed in the car outside, but if I hadn't been looking for something so soon I wouldn't have noticed for hours.

I wouldn't be so suspicious if I'd lost the wallet completely, or if I'd just lost the bank card which I'd just used, but the credit card was definitely secure in the wallet as was the cash.

Presumably you've since cancelled the credit card?

The money you're unlikely to get back, hopefully it wasn't a lot but it is a lesson learned.

If you're rushing and put your wallet in your jacket pocket keep your hand on it until you can organise yourself.

antodeco · 02-04-2012 12:13PM

Did you pay with card in the store?
Did the store employee see you putting in your pin number into the card machine?
Have you checked your bank account?

ArmaniJeanss · 02-04-2012 12:14PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Now, I'm no expert pickpocket, but was this the longest escalator in the world or something? I'm assuming it would take longer than that to remove all credit cards!

Its more of a moving pathway with a slight incline than an escalator, theres no steps. Takes about 60 seconds to get from top to bottom.

sf80 · 02-04-2012 12:14PM

Seachmall wrote: »

Presumably you've since cancelled the credit card?

The money you're unlikely to get back, hopefully it wasn't a lot but it is a lesson learned.

If you're rushing and put your wallet in your jacket pocket keep your hand on it until you can organise yourself.

That's it exactly, wallet insecure while I sorted that bags and made my way out. I'm usually very paranoid about things like this.

I cancelled the cards outside the shop, so within 5 mins, nothing taken from them.

sf80 · 02-04-2012 12:16PM

antodeco wrote: »

Did you pay with card in the store?
Did the store employee see you putting in your pin number into the card machine?
Have you checked your bank account?

Nothing taken from the account; it's possible he saw the pin since there is not surround on the card machine and it's fixed in place at a nice angle between you and the server where you could both see.

Seachmall · 02-04-2012 12:25PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

So let me get this straight. As well as being master pickpockets they could also see the future?

Most people don't keep their wallet in their jacket pocket, when they do it's typically a temporary thing as they just made a purchase and now have loose change, receipts and whatnot in their hand. They put all of that into their pocket and then move out of the way of the crowd to organise themselves (move the change to their front pocket, put the card back in their wallet, put the wallet back into their pocket, etc.). Putting the wallet back is the most logical thing, people have even been known to replace wallets in pockets with folded paper so when the person taps their pocket to see if the wallet is still there everything feels A-OK.

And any scumbag could take a wallet from an outer pocket, no skills required.

minotour · 02-04-2012 12:27PM

Ochams Razor

Theory 1:
You had no cash so you payed using your card, you left said card in the store by accident, thus leaving an empty wallet.

(theory assumes you have only one card:D)

Theory 2:

When you switched the wallet between pockets, you extracted it upside down and all cotents fell to the floor.

(theory assumes you are right handed

)

Final comment:

the interaction between the 2 guys cant be relevant unless there was an un-mentioned time lapse, it reads to me like they had a genunine interaction over something they were already engaged in. How could the guy coming up the other side of the escalator have had any influence on you? How could he have gotten into position if it was some kind of distraction technique? Had the interaction been reveresed then maybe it would hint at some collusion but the fact is the guy on the other side claims to have "got it" when in reality it should have been the guy behind you who "got it".

Wallet stolen, emptied and returned

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