Attention shoppers, keep a close eye on your purses and wallets.
Two shopping cart wallet snatchings happened recently at Almaden Plaza in San Jose, one at a Trader Joe's a few weeks ago and another at Real Produce a few months back.
Surveillance footage from the theft at Real Produce shows a shopper put her purse in her cart. As she briefly steps away, a woman reaches into her cart, grabs her wallet and walks off.
During the theft at Trader Joe's, Kari Woods said her wallet was also stolen from her purse.
"I was like, 'Oh my God, my wallet is gone. Somebody took my wallet,'" she said. "I felt really, really violated."
Woods said she immediately got on the phone to cancel her credit cards, only to find out the thief had already started shopping with her card at a Macy's store a few blocks away.
"Four minutes later they're at Macy’s at Oakridge trying to use my American Express," she said. "I get an email and it said $8,000. They tried to spend $8,000."
Local
She reported the crime to San Jose police, who confirmed they are investigating. She said she also asked Trader Joe's for help.
"I said, 'Hey, do you guys have cameras? Somebody just took my wallet,'" Woods said. "She's like, 'Oh no, we don’t have cameras."
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Similar crimes were also reported at a Trader Joe's in Los Gatos. Police confirmed they are investigating three reports of wallets being taken from shopping carts at the store.
"We’re hearing more of it now," Valerie Pomarantz of San Jose said. "We've never heard as much, but yes, it's sad. It's a sad situation."
Lynn Santone of San Jose said she is now extra vigilant when she shops.
"I keep [my purse] strapped across my body at all times," she said. "I never take my wallet out. I pay with my watch or my phone. I never open up my purse."
San Jose police said they have not received any other recent reports of purse snatchings in the area.
NBC Bay Area reached out to Trader Joe’s to ask about the thefts and the lack of surveillance video but did not immediately hear back.
If you've been a victim of a wallet or purse theft or know someone who has, please email Marianne Favro at marianne.favro@nbcuni.com.
