If two women approach you in Target just to chitchat and get your number, its a scam

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To anyone that doesn’t believe think this is real, go to Target, especially Mosaic, on the weekend. Slowly browse and casually shop, alone. Bonus points if you’re a woman. Let me know if you get approached and how it feels to you.

I literally just did this Sunday. Nothing. You all are crazy. This is like the Bunny Tunnel. An urban legend.

It’s Bunnyman Bridge. And it’s real.

Yes, and there's a bar named after it (nostalgia for those of us who grew up here).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To anyone that doesn’t believe think this is real, go to Target, especially Mosaic, on the weekend. Slowly browse and casually shop, alone. Bonus points if you’re a woman. Let me know if you get approached and how it feels to you.

I literally just did this Sunday. Nothing. You all are crazy. This is like the Bunny Tunnel. An urban legend.

It’s Bunnyman Bridge. And it’s real.

The bridge is real. The name and the legend are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TLDR this — how does the scam work?

One aspect of it can be them getting close enough to you and your bag for a RFID reader in their purse to scan and grab your information from your cards.

I keep all of my credit cards in a RFID blocking wallet. I learned this from a security summit I attended a few years ago.

The security professionals said now it's more common to talk and distract you to get close enough to steal your info rather than distract you to grab a wallet or purse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They only approach women I’m assuming

They would have to physically pickpocket a guy. Women tend to leave their purses in the seat part of the cart. I am very guilty of this. Had a lady in Giant tell me a few years ago that someone had stolen her wallet in that same Giant while she was looking for something on the shelf and that I should be careful.

Might have been my MIL. Her's was stolen out of her purse in the cart at a Westbard Giant in Bethesda, on a weekday morning. Did not realize it was gone until she went to pay.

[Anonymous]

OP back again. I didn’t think these two women were going to slip an Air Tag into my purse - but what I was saying is that this is something that can happen. The scammers or thieves, whatever, slip it into your purse or stuff whatever while distracting you by talking to you. Maybe the second or third person working with them, who knows.

If the ones who were asking me my favorite Bible verse/ wanted my phone number to join their “Zoom church” were just evangelists etc - ok fine, but still wildly inappropriate to do to shoppers minding their own business. I’d rather them knock on my front door, where I can make the choice whether or not to answer, than to approach me like that in public… also you’re not allowed to do this in stores at all. So to those of you who are just “whatever” about this, fine. But I’m glad some are taking it seriously, and I’m thankful for the responses reassuring me and to telling me to call the non emergency line next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to the Target in the Mosaic in Merrifield the last three weekends in a row, and twice was approached, and then saw them again today. The first time, it was two girls that looked early 20s; they came up to me and asked "hi, "what's your favorite Bible verse?" It caught me off guard - thought they were going to ask if I knew where something in the store was or whatever; I was just like "I don't know, I can't think of any sorry" and they tried asking for my phone number, claimed they were from "Faith Church" and it's all on Zoom. I declined, and walked away. I didn't really think much of it, other than thinking I should've reported it because it did make me a little uncomfortable. Then last weekend, two women who looked in their 40s, passed me in the food aisle and tried asking me about "yoga on the green" (the green lawn of the Mosaic that the Lululemon hosts - I actually have been to it) - I said no, but they have to ask Lululemon about it. I started walking away and they kept trying to ask me more questions like if I'm from here, and I just was like "take care!" and walked away. My coworkers all told me this is a scam; both of these times - they'll try to distract you and either steal from your purse or slip an Air Tag in it. Get your phone number, and scam you that way.

Anyways, those same two women in their 40s were there again today - I walked past them and recognized them immediately. They were talking to one lady who was shopping alone. I went down an aisle, and they passed me - we made eye contact but they kept going. Now I was on alert and not looking like I was browsing slowly. I continued shopping, and passed them again several times through the food aisles. They were pushing a cart around with nothing in it. At one point they stopped a lady and were talking to her; I walked by and heard them asking things like what school did she go to and "its soooo nice to meet you!". One of them was standing next to her, and the other blocking the aisle. I asked an employee near by if there were any managers I could talk to, and he directed me to guest services. I explained it to the main guy at Guest Services and he called security immediately. I returned to my shopping, all the way back to the groceries. I didn't see the women, got what I needed, and headed over to the personal care/beauty aisles - where I saw them again, they were talking to an older lady in the kitchen supplies area, on both sides of her this time, which I thought was kind of creepy. I saw a man in the security shirt walking by trying to find them, so I let him know it was them. He must have kicked them out thankfully - when I left after checking out, they were lurking outside of the Target by the doors talking angrily. I got to my car and a man was honking furiously in the car next to to me, looking like he was trying to get someone's attention.

I know this may sound harmless - but a friend of mine is a cop and said this is a very common scam. Each time, it felt really weird to me and creepy, and I was annoyed I had even responded in the first place - but I was caught off guard/trying to be polite. I was scared to come off as a "Karen" reporting people to management, but I'm glad I did and I hope they don't come back. Today, after seeing them approach THREE different women who were all shopping alone, it's very obvious what was going on and it makes me so uncomfortable in a store that I love and go to very often (I know it can happen anywhere). My coworker said this has happened to her as well, in stores like the Wegmans or the DSW nearby. Anyways - if this happens to you, please report them to the store and stay alert to your belongings!

Look, it's always good to be on guard and look out for each other. Be alert. But just maybe these were 2 church ladies or cult ladies trying to entice new members to try it out. You saw them with 3 women, but never saw them steal. You spoke to them, but they didn't rob you.

I was thinking the same thing. Nothing actually happened…

Agree. This reminds me of the posts on Facebook about people thinking kidnappers were trying to steal their children's kidneys or traffic their daughters. They were from a church or MLM. This happened to me once-the ladies were trying to sell Mary Kay. One time a realtor chatted me up like this, and another time it was a guy who was a “financial advisor”. They are essentially making cold sales calls in person and taking awhile to get to the point.

The financial one is an MLM too (there are a couple of them). There are a few and often they rope in couples. People don’t expect it because they think MLMs are a “woman thing.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I won't let you traffic me!!!"

Wrong site. No one here is worried about being trafficked.

Sigh. They’re not worried about being trafficked. They’re saying something negative loudly so others will hear and get the vultures to leave them alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They only approach women I’m assuming

They would have to physically pickpocket a guy. Women tend to leave their purses in the seat part of the cart. I am very guilty of this. Had a lady in Giant tell me a few years ago that someone had stolen her wallet in that same Giant while she was looking for something on the shelf and that I should be careful.

I can’t believe people do this. On your body, at all times. If in the cart, wrap a strap around your wrist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To anyone that doesn’t believe think this is real, go to Target, especially Mosaic, on the weekend. Slowly browse and casually shop, alone. Bonus points if you’re a woman. Let me know if you get approached and how it feels to you.

I literally just did this Sunday. Nothing. You all are crazy. This is like the Bunny Tunnel. An urban legend.

It’s Bunnyman Bridge. And it’s real.

I live in Clifton and it's a myth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people on this forum are either very sheltered or just don't realize how much human trafficking and crime actually occurs in this area.

Nobody is trafficking adult women in the laundry detergent aisle at target

exactly - what drama over nothing

It is effing annoying to be trapped in a shopping aisle with any strangers, especially when they mark people who are less assertive. It is kind of like bullying.

Pretty sure the stores have posted no soliciting signs. This applies to anyone on their property, whether staff or customer, and no money is required to change hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people on this forum are either very sheltered or just don't realize how much human trafficking and crime actually occurs in this area.

Nobody is trafficking adult women in the laundry detergent aisle at target

exactly - what drama over nothing

It is effing annoying to be trapped in a shopping aisle with any strangers, especially when they mark people who are less assertive. It is kind of like bullying.

Pretty sure the stores have posted no soliciting signs. This applies to anyone on their property, whether staff or customer, and no money is required to change hands.

They can catch these hands though. They’re rated E for everybody

[Anonymous]

I hope the cops followed up on this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still don’t understand how or why an air tag is used.

it's a tracking device, about the size of a quarter. Most "normal" people use them to keep track of their luggage, handbag - those types of items. But now criminals are using them to track YOU. They put them on your car so they can find out where you live, for example. And they're small enough that you wouldn't necessarily know you have one on you.

But what’s not clear is why they would track you to presumably rob you later? Since you’re just a random shopper in a store, they could just go rob whoever, why the tracking? Does the AirTag allow for any kind of information retrieval from your phone to try to steal your personal info?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This happened to me at a NOVA store. Two young women - one black and one white. They asked me about the Bible. I did not think it was a scam at the time but now I do. It was so odd that they only approached me and left the store after I shut them down. Thanks for warning others, OP.

PLEASE SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT IS THE SCAM/THREAT

Please

I know the women are being annoying, but I don’t get what the scam or the threat is. Can someone walk me through it?

It was explained above this post. You have an expensiveish bag or products. They figure your house is a good bet to rob. The air tags are to figure out where you love to determine if it is a good idea to rob.

This is made up out of thin air. This does not happen.

Read the Background paragraph.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been happenening at 99 ranch in Gaithersburg too. May I ask the ethnicity of these women?

Asian and Black; both around 5'5" ish. I was able to get pictures from a distance. Thank you all pp's - I will definitely call the non-emergency line! They were kicked out of the store, but they were still lurking in the garage/parking lot doors.

Typical.