Police hunt callous distraction thieves who pickpocketed a woman, 69, moments after she withdrew £1,000 from her bank account after confusing her in a lift
- The woman was targeted after leaving the Lloyds Bank in Ilford, Essex in July
- Officers investigating the case found CCTV footage of the theft form a lift
- Two members of the gang distracted the woman while the third stole her purse
- The woman was unaware she had been targeted until she met her daughter
Police detectives are hunting for two men and a woman who managed to pick pocket a 69-year-old woman moments after she withdrew £1,000 from her bank.
The victim took out the cash from the Lloyds Bank in Ilford, Essex and was targeted when she entered a lift.
The incident took place at 11.50am on Wednesday, July 26 at the Exchange Shopping Mall on the High Road.
This is the shocking moment a pensioner was targeted by three members of a crime gang who pickpocketed her moments after leaving a bank having withdrawn £1,000 in cash
Two members of the gang distracted their elderly victim while the third rifled through her handbag removing her purse which contained £1,000 in cash
The entire distraction theft was caught on CCTV camera from the lift
Police are searching for three people who entered the lift along with the woman and can be seen on CCTV dipping their hand into her handbag.
Police have released CCTV footage of three suspects following a theft at a shopping centre in Ilford.
The woman was making her way back to the car park to meet her daughter.
According to the Metropolitan Police, when the woman got into the lift, two members of the gang pressed the button for different floors and began talking to her.
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Once distracted, the female member of the gang put opened the woman's handbag before removing the cash.
Only when the woman made it back to her daughter's car did she realise that she had been the victim of a crime.
The woman is described as being white, in her 40s with long dyed white hair. She was wearing a black leather jacket over a black and white chequered top. The was also wearing bleached blue jeans which were hold along with black shoes.
Police have released CCTV footage of the suspects who distracted the woman and their female accomplice, right, who rifled through the victim's bag before stealing her purse
The two men are both described as being Eastern European, with one in his 30s, with black hair. He was wearing a green jacket, blue jeans and blue trainers with white laces.
The second man is described as being in his 40s with receding short dark hair. He had a grey suit jacket and black top. He was also wearing blue jeans and blue trainers with white soles.
He was wearing black rimmed glasses on his head.
PC Carl Repper of the East Area Command said: 'We are appealing for any information as to the identity of these three suspects. The victim has lost a large amount of her savings as a result of her ordeal.'
Anyone who can assist the investigation is asked to contact East Area Command via 101 or by Tweeting @MetCC.
To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org
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