DISTRACTION THEFT SHOPLIFTING ARE YOU A TARGET?

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DISTRACTION THEFTSHOPLIFTING ARE YOU A
TARGET?

• Provided Courtesy of
• SHERIFF DONALD F. ESLINGER
  CHIEF DENNIS PETERSON
• Seminole County Sheriffs Office
  Oviedo Police Department
• 100 Bush Blvd.
  400 Alexandria Blvd.
• Sanford Fl 32773
  Oviedo, Fl 32765
• 407.665.6650
  407.977.6146

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TRAVELING CRIMINALS

• Professional Thieves
• Highly Organized
• Work In Teams- 2 or more
• All Operations Well Choreographed
• Specialize in
• Distraction Thefts
• Shoplifting- Clothing Electronics
• Till Tapping
• Office Safes

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ILLUSION, CONFUSIONDISTRACTION

• Property Money
• Will hit Mom Pop Convenience Stores
• Cookie Cutter Operations
• (same floor plan- Home Depot, Lowes, Albertsons)
• Chain Stores
• Work in teams of two or more
• Team- 2 car loads- males and females, young and
  old
• ALL PLANNED OUT
• All know what to do where to go know when to
  leave

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BE ALERT IF.

• A large group enters the business at once, and
  the
• women are all dressed in long baggy clothing, all
  talking in a foreign language and/or
• You notice a customer trying to distract or
  confuse an employee(s) and/or
• Customers are lurking near Un-Authorizedareas,
  such as the office and/or
• A vehicle is parked, with male driver, very
  conveniently located near exit for quick getaway.
• Because you may end up asking yourself

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HOWD THEY DO THAT?

• UPC tag- One actor will peel bar code tag off
  an in-expensive item and place it over the bar
  code of an expensive item, mark the item and
  leave. Second actor will pick up the marked
  item and purchase it. Items are either returned
  at another store for cash or shipped overseas to
  sell on the black-market.
• Clothing- Teams of women enter, dressed in loose
  fitting baggy clothing and steal items by
  wearing the items out of the store under their
  own clothing.

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MORE WAYS

• Booster Apron- a large pocketed apron worn under
  their baggy clothing thats filled with stolen
  items.
• Lined Bag- Large shopping bag lined with
  aluminum foil / duct tape. Bag is filled with
  items that have an electronic merchandise tag and
  the lining defeats the sensors at exit doors.
• Canadian Build Up Scheme- Better known as the
  Quick Change artist- attempts to confuse clerk
  by asking for change and then switching bills.
• Smash Grab- Females enter a jewelry store and
  will smash glass display cases and take whatever
  they can.

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THE FAMILY THAT STEALS TOGETHER

• MILAN KONSTANTINOV
• MARA PAVLOV
• Work with 8 other family members- experts in
  stealing from the businesss office safe by
  distracting employees

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Milan Konstantinov John Michael Jozih
Baba Julie Mara Kathy
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BUNCHA JUCIBooster Apron Expert- if a
family member is approached by store security,
she has been known to pull her full skirt over
her head and run from the store yelling loudly
causing mass confusion.
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WALLENTINA KNAPEK

• TILL TAP Expert- (1) She will ask a clerk for
  change, then grabs the money from the clerk and
  using quick slight of hand palms most of the
  money. The rest is actually given back to the
  clerk who does not suspect anything as the money,
  now folded up, is given back to him or her
  quickly.
• (2)- She will reach into an opened register and
  pull out a large wad of 20s and by folding the
  wad up quickly, and drawing off the bottom bills,
  the clerk is fooled into believing that the she
  has given all the money back. Shortages not
  realized until drawer is counted at shift change.

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Wallentina Knapek
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YOLANDA KARVEY

• TILL TAP BLOCKING Scam-
• She is the main blocker working with at least 2
  other family members who assist in the
  distraction scam by positioning herself in front
  of security cameras or another employee to block
  their view of the suspect in the act of removing
  money from cash register.

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John Knapek Yolanda Karvey Mikall Ringborn
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOWABOUT TRAVELING CRIMINALS

• Traveling Criminals will take advantage of busy
  times to perpetrate Distraction Thefts. (Holiday
  Shopping)
• So well organized they keep lists of prior
  targets and send teams back to victimize them
  again.
• Have lists of businesses in counties and cities
  that do not prosecute shoplifters
• Know what Day Locks are and how to get in.
• Have been known to distract employees so well
  that they can leave with stolen items AND the
  surveillance cameras video player and tapes.
• ALL YOU CAN!

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CRIME PREVENTION FOR SHOPLIFTERS

• Employee training- Best Help- require all
  employees attend an In-Service discussing
  Shoplifting and Distraction Thefts.
• Surveillance Cameras- Direct cameras at entrances
  to not be affected by the sun when doors open.
  Face cameras inward to get people leaving store
• Surveillance Camera Equipment- Keep recorders and
  tapes in locked location.
• Post signs- Shoplifters Will Be Prosecuted
• PROSECUTE!

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CIVIL RECOVERY ACT

• In Florida a merchant may recover up to 200.00
  for cost of investigation or up to 3 times the
  value of the goods.
• Use a portion to reward employees for alerting
  security about a shoplifter.
• MONEY TALK!!