Headlines

Scammers Are Taking Jewelry from New Yorkers on the Street

Police warn residents to “keep your jewelry hidden.”

Published

2 years ago

June 20, 2022

INSTORE Staff

Police in Staten Island are advising residents to hide their jewelry while walking down the street.

Scammers are distracting and tricking Staten Islanders with the aim of getting their jewelry, according to a tweet from Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon.

McMahon posted a flyer from the New York Police Department stating that “crews of thieves have been reportedly stealing jewelry from elderly victims, often using children as a distraction.”

“These scammers may try to get close and swap the victim’s real jewelry with fake jewelry under the ruse of a gift, prayer or blessing,” police said. “They may claim they need cash, offering fake jewelry in exchange.”

The the thieves are “sophisticated” and so residents should be vigilant, according to the NYPD’s Patrol Borough Staten Island.

“When caught, we will fully prosecute those who steal from law-abiding SI’ers,” Patrol Borough Staten Island stated.

.@NYPDstatenIslnd has learned of a disturbing trend where thieves distract & trick SI’ers w/ the aim of taking their jewelry. These crooks are sophisticated, so please be vigilant & see the tips below. When caught, we will fully prosecute those who steal from law-abiding SI’ers pic.twitter.com/XJn6HQSKhF

— Michael E. McMahon (@StatenIslandDA) June 17, 2022

She Wanted to Spend More Time with Her Kids. She Called Wilkerson.

Your children are precious. More precious than gold? Absolutely! Just ask Lesley Ann Davis, owner of Lesley Ann Jewels, an independent jewelry store that — until the end of 2023 — had quite a following in Houston, Texas. To spend more time with her four sons, all in high school, she decided to close her store. Luckily, she was familiar with Wilkerson and called them as soon as she knew she wanted to move on to bigger, better and more family-focused things. Was she happy with her decision? Yes, she was. Says Davis, “Any owner looking to make that life change, looking to retire, looking to close, looking for a pause in their career, I would recommend Wilkerson. Hands down!”