This article was published more than 14 years ago. Some information may no longer be current. Toronto Police released these security camera images of suspects wanted in connection with distraction thefts in the Toronto area. A foul twist on a notorious scam from the chaotic streets of New Delhi has come to Toronto.
In the past week, four people have been robbed after withdrawing money from downtown bank machines by a team of thieves who furtively squirt feces on their clothing and then distract them by trying to clean up the mess. In the process, their cash disappears. Police warned the public of the thefts Friday and released photos of four suspects. Vella said the four-member team watches people withdraw money from ABMs and then follows them to secluded areas, such as elevators, where they assume they will evade security cameras.
Each scammer plays a different role: One person stealthily squirts the victim's clothing with feces, another points out the offending spot, a third tries to remove it while the fourth surreptitiously grabs their cash. Vella said the thieves make sure to soil their targets' clothes without them realizing. But if it's done secretively, the victim will think these four people are there to help them," he said.
The suspects are described as Hispanic. Police said they "could be in possession of squeeze bottles or containers of feces. Lonely Planet's India guidebook warns of a similar swindle in New Delhi's hectic Connaught Place, where shoe shiners slyly squeeze feces on tourists' footwear before aggressively offering their cleaning services at an inflated price. Report an editorial error. Report a technical issue. Editorial code of conduct.
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