Nurse shares video showing moment he may have been targeted in ‘juggling’
A heartbreaking video captured on a home security camera shows a Richardson man fleeing as a stranger rushes after him.
Richardson police told NBC 5 that it may have been a scam attempt.
The scams involve criminals monitoring banks looking for customers leaving with cash, either apparently on their person or money they put somewhere in their car.
The scammers then follow their potential victim to the next stop and either rob them or break into the victim’s car to take the money.
Ricky asked NBC 5 not to use his last name, but wants to share with his loved ones, hoping to help others.
“Luckily for me, I remained untouched,” he said. “As for the rest, I don’t want anything to happen to them. The amount of cash may be small, but the injury can be fatal.”
He says he stopped by the Bank of America on Centennial Boulevard in Richardson on Monday afternoon between 3:45 and 4 to withdraw some cash.
He then drove to his house, about a five minute walk away, where he parked and noticed a car parked outside his house.
“I noticed someone in the mirror, but I didn’t attach much importance to it and went out,” he said.
Ricky said that the car drove away from his house, but then suddenly turned around and sped back towards him.
“They left quickly, charging,” Ricky said. “[I was like] Okay, I don’t know what it is, but I think you’re following me, so let’s go.
Ricky says his safety training as a nurse has paid off.
He rushes to his backyard as one guy, described by Richardson police as a man in his 20s and 20s, wearing all black and white sneakers, rushes past Ricky.
The second guy exits from the rear passenger side and is heard calling his buddy back to the car in the home video.
“Come on, JJ. It’s all right,” he can be heard saying.
The suspect in black runs back to the getaway car and they drive away for good.
Ricky says he wasn’t hurt during the confrontation.
“I’ve never had this before, so I was a little scared,” he said. “I had some cash so I thought, ‘I think I know what he needs’ because I don’t contact anyone who can cause this situation.”
Ricky also hopes that people in the Asian community, who he says often carry cash, are vigilant in case Asians are targeted.
Richardson police say it could be a scam where criminals are on the lookout for easy targets, leaving jars of money, envelopes or money bags in plain sight. The scammers will follow their potential victims to the next location and detect if they leave their seizures in their car.
The juggers will then wait for the victim to get inside to sneak into their car for a few seconds.
There are several cases where jugglers confronted their victims and robbed them.
Ricky admits he wasn’t particularly vigilant as he walked out of the bank with cash in his front jacket pocket.
“My first mistake that the officer pointed out was that when you leave the bank, you have nothing in your hand or in your pocket. This is what I had to do,” he said. “And looking around is not enough, because the officer said they could have binoculars to watch from a distance.”
Officer Mike Vechorek gave NBC 5 tips for avoiding juggling:
- Always be aware of your surroundings. Watch who is watching you.
- Hide your money before leaving the bank, including bank bags, bank envelopes or coin cases.
- Do not leave money in the car at your next destination.
- If you suspect you are being followed, call 911 and tell the dispatcher your location and the direction you are traveling. Then drive to the nearest police station until the marked police cars meet you.
- Also, keep an eye out for any vehicles in the parking lot with passengers that appear to be watching customers and banking activity.
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