Pickpockets strike at Panera

COLONIE - A group of credit card thieves has hit a popular Colonie restaurant three times in recent months, maxing out their victims' cards before being discovered.

Police have released pictures of the suspects and are asking for help.

The bandits get away with the credit cards and use them for all they're worth at a nearby store before the marks have even realized they've been hit.

Three times this year, roughly a month apart, police say a group of four bandits would hit their victims at the Panera Bread in Latham Farms. They pick women whose pocketbooks are hanging on the back of their chairs.

"And what our suspects are doing is they're coming in, they're bumping into the chair, reaching in and taking the purse out and then exiting the store," explained Detective Lt. John Van Alstyne.

The police spokesman says the thieves then hightail it to a nearby Target where they buy as many big ticket items as they can before the credit limits on the stolen cards are maxed out.

"Because you're kind of on the clock as you do that. At that point the victim still doesn't know they're a victim," Van Alstyne said.

Police have released pictures taken from the Target security cameras. It's not high definition, but if you recognize these suspects, police want to hear about it.

The series of bump and run credit card thefts shows once again how important it is to pay close attention to your pocketbooks and wallets. Experienced thieves can get what they're looking for in a few seconds and you probably will have no idea you've been victimized until much later.