Queens Pickpockets Nab Nearly $40K From Unsuspecting Victims: Cops

QUEENS, NY — A group of men and women have pickpocketed tens of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting people in Queens over the past three months, according to an NYPD report.

Six people are wanted for the three heists in Flushing and Jackson Heights that saw nearly $40,000 stolen from May through July, police said.

The crew's first target was a 54-year-old man and woman who brought a bag with $20,000 into a Burger King on Junction Boulevard near 37th Avenue on May 19, police said.

While the 54-year-old used the bathroom, one of the men distracted the woman by telling her she'd dropped money on the floor, police said.

When the woman bent over to look for the dropped money, another one of the suspects grabbed the bag and ran off, said police.

The pickpockets struck next at the New World Mall at 136-20 Roosevelt Ave. in Flushing on June 23 just before 5 p.m., police said.

A 46-year-old woman entered a restaurant and put a bag with $14,200 in it under the counter, police said.

Three men and one woman grabbed the bag and fled before the woman knew the money was missing, police said.

Finally, a 65-year-old woman was robbed of about $5,500 on July 6 at ColumbiaDoctors at 136-20 38 Ave. in Flushing , said the NYPD.

Two men and a woman followed the woman into the medical office and grabbed the cash as the 65-year-old was throwing away some trash, police said.

Police said that the victim had gone to TD Bank earlier before heading to ColumbiaDoctors.

There were no injuries reported at any of the crime scenes, police added.

Anyone with information about these heists is asked to contact the NYPD.