CTA Riders, Watch Out For A Group Of Pickpockets Working The Blue Line

By Mae Rice in News on Mar 29, 2016 8:35PM

Security camera footage of alleged pickpockets (Chicago Police Department)

A group of pickpockets has been stealing wallets and valuables from Blue Line passengers on southbound trains from O'Hare International Airport to the Loop, according to a police alert sent out Tuesday. Typically, the pickpockets work together: one creates a distraction, while another swoops in to take the passenger's belongings.

One March 23 robbery at the Washington Blue Line stop, for example, began when a member of the pickpocketing group claimed his foot was stuck between the train doors and the platform; his 59-year-old victim attempted to help him, at which point the victim was bumped by another man, who took his wallet.

Police describe the offenders as two or three black men, ages 45 through 55, various heights and weights. One offender usually wears a surgical mask to hide his identity; the group usually uses a garment bag to shield the theft from the view of other passengers (and the victim).

If you have been pickpocketed on the Blue Line in the way described here, please reach out to us via tips@chicagoist.com and tell us your story.