Ring Snatched During Casual Handshake, Says Victim: Weird Crimes

More Trouble For Victim of Advocate Information Burglary

Sept. 21: Identity thieves added insult to injury for a 44-year-old Oak Forest woman.

The woman, whose personal information was compromised in August, says an identity thief targeted her bank account.

Chase Bank contacted the victim and advised her that someone else was using her account, according to an Oak Forest police report.

A bank official said a $900 purchase at a Lowe's store in Chicago was made using her credit card, the report states. The thief also had the last four digits of her Social Security number.

The Oak Forest resident also told police she had received a letter from Downers Grove-based Advocate Health Care, stating that their computer system had been compromised. Her personal information was among the data on 4 million patients stolen in an August burglary.

A Chicago law firm filed a class action lawsuit in September, claiming that the company failed to do enough to ensure patient information was safe.

Chase Bank closed her account and advised the woman to speak with police.

Read more on Oak Forest Patch

You Tell A Lot About a Man By His Handshake

Sept. 12: A Lynwood resident claimed a simple handshake cost her a $10,000 wedding ring.

The 56-year-old woman reported her 3-carat diamond ring missing after shaking hands with a man from Homewood, according to a Chicago Heights police said.

The woman and her husband were walking into a theater at Marcus Chicago Heights Cinema, 1301 Hilltop Ave., when they ran into another couple, the report states. When her husband walked away, she started making small talk with the two other people. During the exchange, the Lynwood woman clasped her left hand with the man's left hand. She believes that's when the man pulled off her ring.

The Homewood man emptied his pockets and his wife opened her purse to show they did not have the ring, the report states. The man also claimed that he never shook hands with the woman.

No arrests were reported.

Read more on Chicago Heights Patch

Sometimes, The Customer Isn’t Right

Sept. 23: You’ve heard of bad customers? One in Evergreen Park was bad enough to warrant a trip to the police department.

Vernell Henry, 44, of the 6600 block of South Marquette Road, Chicago, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to a report. She is accused of threatening and swearing at a store manager inside Walgreens, located at the intersection of 87th Street and Kedzie Avenue. During the arrest, Henry allegedly tried to run away.

Read more on Evergreen Park Patch

Thief Makes Huge Dent in Woman’s Account

Sept. 25: A thief recently made off with a Palos Hills woman’s nest egg.

About $16,000 was stolen from the account of a Palos Hills woman, according to a police report. The victim told police she was notified by Bank of America that someone was writing checks and making ATM withdraws from her account. Police are investigating.

Read more on Palos Patch

Are you a fan of true crime? Like the Crime-n-Shame Facebook page for tales of mischief and woe from all over the Chicago area.

Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

What To Read Next:

• Oak Lawn WWII Veteran Defies Memorial Shutdown, on Oak Lawn Patch
• Kosel Won't Run for Re-Election: Says She Wants to Spend Time With the Family, on Mokena Patch
• Congress is More Popular Than Gonorrhea and the Kardashians, on New Lenox Patch
• Google's Saddest Doodle Yet, on Homewood-Flossmoor Patch
• More Journalism Orgs Support Patch in Confidential Source Battle, on Evergreen Park Patch