A poop ploy is being used to pick-pocket people in the downtown core, police said Friday.
In four separate incidents since last week, victims who had withdrawn cash from various bank machines were followed by a group of poop-packing perpetrators, Toronto Police Const. Tony Vella said.
All of the cases followed the same modus operandi, Vella said.
One case went like this: A woman withdrew cash from a downtown ATM where she was unknowingly watched, then followed by four suspects, Vella said.
She was followed to her office building where the suspects joined her on the elevator.
A silent squirt of human feces on to her clothes by one of the suspects was soon followed by a, "Oh, look what you have on your clothing," by another, Vella said. "And she's shocked."
"From there, the other person will try to clean it off and the last person will then basically pick-pocket her and take her money and flee," Vella said.
Though only vague descriptions were provided of the suspects, a police press release pointed out, they "could be in possession of squeeze bottles or containers of feces."
Distraction thefts are nothing new around Toronto, but usually require less stinky scenarios: Squirting ketchup, slashing tires, or some old-fashioned smooth talking.
It was unclear whether the poop was mixed with another substance to facilitate the squirting, but Vella confirmed it was indeed people poop, as opposed to dog droppings or any other furry fertilizer.
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