Toronto police are warning people to be on the lookout for distraction-style thefts as thieves trying to steal jewelry, purses and wallets.
A 72-year-old man said he was leaving Scarborough Town Center on Jan. 29 when he was approached by a couple who tried to sell him gold jewelry and ended up stealing his gold chain instead.
Isa Demirovski of Scarborough said a woman walked up to him and quickly put what looked like a gold chain around his neck.
“She put this gold chain around me and it all happened so fast. At the same time she stole mine,” said Demirovski.
Demirovski said the man put what appeared to be gold jewelry into his hands and demanded money, and when he refused the couple jumped into a dark colored SUV and drove off.
Demirovski said when he got home his wife noticed right away that his gold chain was missing.
“I realized when I got home and my wife said, “Where is your gold chain?’ I said, ‘My God,’ and I started panicking.”
Demirovski said during his encounter with the couple the man handed him several gold rings before they drove off.
He took the rings and the chain that had been placed around his neck to two different jewelers and both immediately said the chains and rings were fakes.
“It looks real but it’s all fake. Everything was fake,” said Demirovski.
Demirovski said the chain he was wearing was a gift from his wife and that she had her gold jewelry melted down to make him a custom-made chain and cross which he said was worth about $4,000.
“The chain means everything to me. It’s sentimental from my wife. It’s a cross I use every night when I go to bed to pray,” said Demirovski.
“Without the chain, I feel terrible. My wife was hoping we could pass it to the children,” said Demirovski.
CTV News Toronto did a similar story in May 2020 when a North York senior opened his door to a woman he didn’t know and she placed a fake gold chain on his neck and removed a real gold chain he was wearing.
Toronto Crime Stoppers also has a video warning the public about the scam and how quickly distraction thefts can happen.
Be suspicious if anyone approaches you and tries to put jewelry on you and tries to sell you gold rings or chains. Demirovski regrets being so trusting.
“Every night when I pray I have no chain and I have no cross. I feel hopeless without that chain,” said Demirovski.
Distraction thefts can also happen when you’re paying at a cash register or using a bank machine so always be aware of your surroundings and if someone randomly tires to engage you in a conversation pay close attention to your belongings.