The Chatham County Police Department is urging the public to be vigilant in the wake of a crime trend happening along the I-95 corridor.
The crime targets people withdrawing money from both ATMs and inside bank locations during normal business hours. The Chatham County Police Department has investigated four of these incidents, and is aware that victims have been targeted in neighboring jurisdictions.
“This is a crime of opportunity, and yet another reason why we are imploring people to be aware of their surroundings and lock their vehicles,” said Chatham County Police Department Acting Chief Julie Tolbert. “Victims are losing thousands of dollars in cash that they will never see again to this criminal activity, and much of it is preventable.”
The criminals wait and watch for customers who withdraw cash from both ATMs and inside bank locations. The criminals then follow the victim to their next stop—and, they count on the victim leaving the bank cash withdrawal in their unlocked vehicle. However, the criminals have also been known to break into locked cars of victims if they believe they have left the cash inside.
Everyone is urged to use caution when withdrawing large sums of cash, be aware of their surroundings, and never leave large amounts of cash in a locked or unlocked vehicle.
Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to contact police. Anonymous tips can be sent through the Chatham County Police Department app, or the Department’s online tip form found here: https://police.chathamcountyga.gov/Tips.
You can also call Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020, where tipsters are anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
