INDIANAPOLIS — This holiday season shoppers will be out in full force trying to find that perfect gift.
It's also a time when criminals will be watching and waiting to strike.
Authorities and retail workers are reminding shoppers to keep a watchful eye on their personal belongings.
"Make sure that you are aware of your surroundings. Make sure when you purchase your merchandise, if you can put it in your trunk, don't leave it visible," said Antonio Strong, academy facilitator with Walmart in Greenwood.
Greenwood's Walmart wants shoppers to be safe.
That's because dozens of Hoosiers have reported thieves lurking in stores, distracting them and then stealing their wallets, purses, even cellphones.
"It's just rampant right now," said one Indianapolis woman who did not want to be identified.
The woman told 13News her wallet was recently stolen by two young women at a Walmart on 86th Street in Indianapolis.
She posted a warning on the NextDoor app to alert others.
"The girl that was nice distracted me and the other girl got in my wallet and I saw her afterwards. I didn't even know she was there," she said.
It happened around 3 p.m. on a Wednesday. She said two girls approached her in her scooter and helped her find an item on a top shelf.
"I thanked her and rolled off. Then looked at my purse wide open in the cart and my wallet was gone," she said.
She says thieves used her debit card for more than $450 in items at other stores.
"If the bank didn't reimburse me I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage and I've never not been able to pay my mortgage," she said.
She's not the only one impacted. Others were also hit, not only at Walmart stores but at Kroger and Costco, one person writing on NextDoor, "Happened to a friend at the Kroger on Township Line last Saturday."
Another person wrote "I watched 2 teenage girls stalking an elderly lady in the produce section at Walmart and I walked up to her and told her to watch her purse. She said she always tried. I showed her the 2 girls and let her know they had been watching her. Those 2 girls walked away immediately."
IMPD says they are actively investigating what may appear to be an organized theft ring. Fishers Police tells 13News, officers are aware of two similar cases. Carmel Police has had one similar case.
Stores like Kroger are now playing hourly announcements asking shoppers to watch their personal belongings.
According to Loss Prevention Magazine, a recent report ranked Indiana in the top five states with the greatest increases in organized retail crime. Indiana ranked second.
IMPD says many retail crimes go underreported.
"Theft remains high on a historical basis and we still have work to do to further mitigate the financial impact," commented Todd Foley, interim CFO at The Kroger Co., speaking during a second-quarter earnings call.
Store workers also try to look out for shoppers.
"We just kind of float around as we're making sure we're taking care of our customers and making sure that they're safe," said Strong.
Strong says he just wants everyone to have a great holiday season.
Many of those victimized don't want it happening to others.
The woman who was victimized says she'll wear a cross-body bag from now on and remain more focused and vigilant while she shops. Her message to the thieves who stole from her and so many others:
"You have to think about these elderly people who only have social security to live on," she said.
According to a Kroger spokesperson, IMPD has made arrests associated with these cases. IMPD has not yet confirmed that information at the time this story was published.