Keep ‘hugger muggers’ at arm’s length, warn police
POLICE have issued an urgent warning about ‘over-friendly strangers’ following a spate of ‘hugger mugger’ mobile phone thefts.
Three cases in the early hours of Saturday are being investigated by officers in Manchester city centre.
Revellers have been urged to be vigilant and keep all valuables secure.
So-called ‘hugger muggers’ get close to victims by smothering them to distract them while they empty their pockets, but the scam can take many forms.
In one of the latest incidents, a thief approached a man in the smoking area of a nightclub in the Gay Village and started to dance with him, while swiping a valuable phone from his pockets.
Inspector Phil Spurgeon, of GMP’s city centre team, urged people out and about in the city centre to take care.
He said: “Beware the over-friendly stranger because while you’re feeling the love, they’re feeling for your valuables.
“By bearing a few bits of advice in mind, people can vastly reduce their chances of falling victim to crime.”
A 30-year-old man told police his Galaxy S7 Edge mobile phone was swiped from his inside jacket pocket after a man approached him, said something about Manchester City before hugging him.
The thief ran off down the canal towpath near Canal Street at around 2am on Saturday.
Just minutes later, at 2.17am, an 18-year-old reported that his iPhone 6 was taken from his trouser pockets by a man who approached him and pretended to dance with him.
It happened in an outdoor smoking area of a club in the Gay Village.
The thief was Asian, in his late 20s, around 5ft 10in with dark hair. He ran off towards Piccadilly.
In the final incident, believed to have happened between 3am and 4am, a thief targeted a man stood waiting for a taxi on Sackville Street.
He put his arm around the victim, who later realised his iPhone 7 had been taken from his pocket.
The victim said the thief was slim, 5ft 8in with olive skin.
Police said victims of ‘hugger muggers’ might not realise they have been targeted as they may have been drinking and think they have lost phones or wallets.
Anyone with information is asked call police on 101 – or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.