The tricks thieves use to steal your phone: Moment a McDonald’s customer has his phone stolen in just 10 seconds as police release CCTV to highlight diversionary techniques used by fraudsters
- The victim had the device stolen from a branch in Nottingham city center
- The thief distracted her by simply asking her to sign a piece of paper
This is the moment a McDonald’s customer’s mobile phone is stolen in just ten seconds as police unleash CCTV to reveal the thieves’ diversionary techniques.
The victim had the device stolen from a table in the fast food outlet in Nottingham city center by a man who simply distracted her by asking her to sign a piece of paper.
The footage shows the crook initially approaching a man and a woman and having a conversation with both of them.
He then asks the unsuspecting victim to look at the A4 sheet and sign it, using it to cover her mobile phone which is lying on the table.
Police have released the footage showing a woman’s mobile phone being stolen in just ten seconds to highlight the techniques thieves are currently using (pictured).
A man distracted the victim by asking her to sign a piece of paper
The footage shows the crook covering the phone with the sheet of paper
The man then uses the same hand holding the paper to steal her device, which was underneath before he fled.
Nottinghamshire Police said the force released the footage to raise awareness of the tactics used by criminals.
The thief struck at the Milton Street branch before making his way to the Victoria Center at 12.15pm on October 20.
To minimize the risk of theft, police recommend keeping your phone out of sight in public areas.
They said to make sure your phone is password protected and when you leave a table, even for a short time, to always take your phone with you.
They advised that if a stranger ever asks you to use it, don’t give them your phone.
Instead, offer to make the call on their behalf and put it on speakerphone.
If you lose your phone or it is stolen, call your network provider and have the phone locked as soon as possible.
Police also said people should set up a tracking app on their phone so they can see where it is from another device if it is lost or stolen.
The iPhone has Find My Phone and Android phones have Android Device Manager.
PC John Searston said: “We would like to identify the man shown in the footage and would ask anyone who recognizes him to contact us.”
“We would also like to hear from anyone who has been approached in similar circumstances.”
“Having your phone stolen is an extremely distressing experience and we are doing everything we can to bring perpetrators to justice.”
“We don’t want this to happen to anyone else, so we encourage people to stay vigilant when out and about and follow some simple but effective tips to reduce the risk of phone theft.”
“We urge people to report any suspicious behavior directly to us or venue staff to ensure we can respond.”
MailOnline has contacted McDonald’s for comment.