Garden City police warn of ATM 'bank jugging' theft trend
Garden City police say there was an incident two weeks ago where a person was followed from the bank to the gym and then thieves stole from their car.
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Garden City police are warning of a concerning trend of thefts.
They say some people making ATM withdrawals are being targeted.
"It is nerve-wracking," says Shannon Wright, who works nearby. "I'm going to definitely watch out now."
Officials say the pattern is called bank jugging.
"Two Fridays ago, a person was followed from Chase Bank on Jericho Turnpike," says Garden City Police Commissioner Ken Jackson. "He went to the gym and left his items in the car. They broke the window, took the items out of the car."
Some people say they're going to be more careful when leaving the bank.
"I'm going to make sure that the money is in my pocketbook and I'm going over to my car right away," says resident Gerry Conway.
But police say it's part of a larger trend of crimes known as distraction and deception thefts.
"It's also happened when people go to their car and somebody walks up and says listen you dropped a $20 bill," Jackson says. "Also maybe you have a flat tire. They probably did the flat tire and then while they're helping you, somebody else has taken the item out of the car."
As News 12 has reported, Nassau police have seen an increase in these thefts across the county.
Police say there's many things you can do to stay safe such as locking cars and making sure you don't leave any cash or valuables inside.
"You have to make sure that you don't walk out with an envelope in your hand," Jackson says. "You got to make sure there's nobody watching, make sure nobody's following you."
