A Cautionary Tale
I live in a part of Southwestern Pennsylvania where people say, We live in a bubble. It’s an ideal community, safe, with many great restaurants, a top-ranked school district, and an award-winning public library. I live ten minutes from the mall, my shopping center, and my church. Life is good and I am happy!
But how quickly life can change.
On December 29, 2023, I was wearing a new pink blazer and a colorful scarf I’d purchased on a vacation in Florence, Italy, when I met my son, Elliott, for lunch not far from my home. Back when I was preparing for my trip to Italy, I read about pickpockets and the need to be cautious to avoid becoming a victim. A friend who visited Italy seven times told me to say, Basta (enough!) to beggars or anyone who didn’t leave me alone. I did use Basta in one instance, and otherwise, had no problem.
After lunch with my son, I headed to T. J. Maxx. As a rule, I wear my purse cross body, yet I removed it to try on a couple of vests. I left my purse in the cart while trying them on. I knew better!
A young man interrupted my shopping to ask if I would help him by giving him my opinion. He said he only had an hour and wanted to buy a gift for his sister to match a top to the snow boots with red trim, which he had positioned on the floor. He was holding up two items, a red blazer and a red and black sweater, one in each hand. I asked where his sister worked to determine if it would be a better choice than the casual sweater. He said she worked in an office. I was kind and inquiring in my response to help the young man. I said, “I suggest the sweater and the boots” and was about to turn away when he grabbed a blouse and asked if it matched the jacket. I said, “You have good taste” and smiled, feeling good I had helped him. He left and I resumed shopping. Unbeknownst to me, he and his accomplice made tracks out of the store with my wallet and phone.
Soon afterwards, when checking out, I opened my purse and realized my wallet did not occupy its usual space. I said, “Wait, I think my wallet must have slipped out of my purse, so let me check my car.” Groping the floor of my car and finding nothing, I reentered the store, asked her to hold my purchases, and went home in the hope of finding my wallet. It was nowhere to be found.
Seated at my desk, I opened my laptop and Yahoo email to find notifications from both of my bank cards with alerts–We’ve detected some suspicious credit card activity and need to speak with you as soon as possible. I reached into my purse for my phone to call the card companies, only to discover my phone was also gone. The same notice would have shown up on my phone, and, of course, I could not respond immediately.
The fact I had been robbed hit me like a ton of bricks, and I experienced physiological reactions. My faced flushed red, I started shaking, exacerbated by feeling cut off from the world without a landline. I needed to let my son know my phone was missing, so I messengered my sister on Facebook, saying I had been robbed of my wallet and phone, would she let Elliott know. Miraculously, she immediately answered, “Sure,” and called him. He immediately contacted our phone carrier. He also wrote me a quick email giving suggestions on next steps, which I followed. I gathered together credit card invoices, phone numbers, and my laptop and jumped in my car. I drove to the police station, which was closed as it was after hours, and proceeded to TJ Maxx. While driving, I suddenly remembered the young man who asked for my opinion and realized he succeeded in distracting me long enough for his accomplice to steal my wallet and phone.
Upon arrival, I apprised the assistant manager of the robbery and my theory. She led me to the office where I called the police and the credit card companies. Meanwhile, she took my statement about the incident and emailed their regional security officer and store manager reporting the theft and noting their security footage would need to be reviewed by the police.
A township police officer arrived and proceeded to asked me a battery of questions noting the details of my incident. I was so distracted by the young man I was helping, I could not describe what he was wearing. The officer took photos of my email bank card alerts which indicated charges had been made at The Apple Store at the mall and Best Buy, ten minutes away. I would learn the fraudulent purchases totaled over $12,000. These clever thieves knew exactly what they were doing. Thankfully, the banks will not make me responsible for these charges, and I will complete fraud reports.
In reflecting, I have much to be grateful for: 1) My purse with my car keys were not stolen. 2) My cash was not stolen, as I moved it to a cute leather cat face change purse I purchased in Pisa, Italy. 3) I have a loving, supportive family, who jumped into action on my behalf. My sister even texted my phone with a plea to return my items, no questions asked. 4) I always thought how horrible it would be to have one’s wallet stolen and the task of replacing all the stolen items. I realize, I will survive, I will get it done (replacing driver’s license, medical Insurance and car Insurance cards and credit cards). I lost a few small gift cards, but I will become 99.5 percent whole. Elliott replaced my phone within 24 hours of the theft. So grateful to my son who provides my phone!
I am grieving the loss of years of photos stored on my SIM card, which I liked to view or show to friends. I am also aware of lessons learned, the need for situational awareness, and listening to nudges by the Holy Spirit, to help avoid future incidents. My prayer is that my experience will impress other women to be cautious whether ten minutes from home or halfway around the world.
In reflecting on how this experience will change me, I drew some conclusions. First, I will never leave my purse in my cart, even briefly. Unbeknownst to us, people are watching, and ready to make a move in our most venerable moment. In regard to helping a fellow shopper, I plan to continue to show kindness and helpfulness to anyone who approaches me regardless of their gender or ethnicity. I will not shout Basta at them! I will not allow this incident to make me guarded against people. I will not go through life in fear. I will not change who I am. I will, instead, correct my habits and behaviors with practical readiness, with the understanding that discernment is the better part of valor. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Proverb 2:11.
Life experiences are a great teacher, and I am still a student, learning from The Bible and through mistakes I make along the way. I could end the story here, yet, in my pastor’s sermon that Sunday he focused on 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, with instructions on the resurrection of Christ, and on the Resurrection of the Body (of believers). The bottom line is in verse 58: Therefore, my dear brothers (and sisters) stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. In other words, be immoveable and go over and above! I plan to stand firm, to be kind, gracious, and grateful, and to go above and beyond in living to be like our humble Lord Jesus Christ.
