Edmonton police warn people to be on the lookout for a group of hugging bandits

Edmonton police say officers have received at least 63 reports since May of people having belongings stolen while being distracted by thieves.

Police in Alberta say the public should mind strangers asking for hugs or sharing sob stories after three people were arrested in a string of “distraction” thefts across Canada.

Edmonton police say officers have received at least 63 reports since May of people having belongings stolen while being distracted by thieves.

Three women were charged with theft last week in an investigation that also involved RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency. Warrants have been issued for three more believed to be part of the scheme.

More are believed to be out there, said Edmonton police Const. Shiva Shunmugam.

At a Tuesday news conference, Shunmugam said the suspects are believed to be connected to similar thefts from B.C. to Toronto.

“It’s not limited to Alberta,” he said. “It’s Canada-wide.”

The tactic, they say, is straightforward. The thieves, acting in groups resembling families, approach vulnerable people in places from grocery stores to parking lots to strike up a conversation — going as far as asking for a hug or having them “bless” jewelry.

But during the interaction, Shunmugam said, the bandits will steal the victim’s jewelry and flee in a vehicle, often branded with a licence plate from B.C., Ontario or Quebec.