TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Police are asking residents to keep a tighter grip on purses and wallets this holiday season. Detectives say they’re seeing a rise in the number of thefts and they believe the same people are behind many of the crimes.

Police say they suspect three women in several thefts.

What You Need To Know

  • Police see rise in purse snatching and pick pockets

  • Detectives suspect three women involved in multiple crimes

  • Police advise women to not hang their purses on chair backs

  • Thieves mainly targeting people who are dining out

According to authorities, they distract their victim by pretending to accidentally bumping into them, then walk away with their bag without the victim even knowing it. Rita Malki says that’s exactly what happened to her on Nov. 18 while she was dining with friends.

“We were celebrating our friends’ wedding anniversary, and I had put my purse on the back of the chair,” she said. “Looking back now, I knew exactly when it happened because they did bump into my chair and I thought maybe I hadn’t given them enough room to pass by, so I scooted forward, helping them out. I felt like a fool.”

But police say, she’s not foolish, just latest in a list of diners who’ve fallen victim to a recent rise in pickpocket and purse snatching cases, many of them according to detectives, committed by this trio.

Malki says not only did they walk away with her favorite Luis Vuitton purse worth more than $3,000.

“I had a very sentimental necklace in there,” she said. “It’s onyx and gold.”

But before she had time to realize what was stolen from her, the second phase of the crime was underway.

“As I’m speaking to the manager, my phone goes off with fraud alerts. $850, $740 and I’m seeing fraud alerts,” said Malki.

Aside from the credit card fraud, Malki realizes these are just things and things can be replaced, but they were her things, things she says she and her husband work very hard to earn. Her faith gives her hope that justice will be served.

Meanwhile, police are telling people to keep their purses in hand and off chair backs, but as they continue to search for the serial purse snatchers, the one thing Malki says they’ll never be able to recover is her sense of security dining out.

“I felt violated,” she said. “I keep my purse strapped to me now.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.