City streets are becoming a hunting ground for opportunistic thieves preying on vulnerable seniors, police warn, duping them with distraction tactics to swipe valuables. The Huntington Beach Police Department has highlighted this growing trend of "distracted theft" targeting the elderly, a practice where crooks engage their victims in seemingly innocent interactions—only to rob them blind. In a recent Facebook post, the department outlined various ruses that these criminals employ, a reminder to always remain vigilant.

One common scam involves a thief pretending to collect charity donations in parking lots, meanwhile, they're actually after the wallet or purse of the kindhearted senior. These sly operators are also known to offer help with groceries, deftly lifting wallets while the seniors are preoccupied with their bags, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department's Facebook post. The post goes on to describe how individuals may pose as repairmen or utility workers to gain entry into a senior's home and steal while the resident is none the wiser, distracted by the fake inspection.

Even ATMs, once bastions of secure transactions, are no longer safe from these strategies; crafty thieves linger nearby waiting to offer 'help' to seniors struggling with the machines, though they intend to memorize their PIN or switch out their debit card with a bogus one. The Huntington Beach Police Department urges everyone to talk to the seniors in their lives about these scams, advising them never to walk alone or leave their belongings unattended, and to keep personal information close to the vest. Staying alert and reporting suspicious activities can go a long way in preventing these crimes.