It’s becoming all too familiar now; distracted thefts can happen anywhere at any time.
For one Brantford woman, simply giving directions turned into her $3,000 necklace being stolen right off her neck.
“It made me feel horrible,” said Lynn Donovan. “It made me feel violated.”
On August 25, Donovan was looking over her fence that needed to be repaired.
A white SUV pulled up with a man driving and a woman riding in the passenger’s seat, who asked for directions.
“I was close to the car, she put a necklace up to the front of my neck and she says, ‘here have this’,” said Donovan. “‘No, no, no,’ and I’m laughing and he’s chatting. She says ‘turn around and I’ll put it on you’.”
They then said goodbye and Donovan watched them drive off.
That’s when she realized her necklace was gone.
She said she didn’t feel that something wasn’t right.
“No, I’m just a trusting, nice person and so were they,” said Donovan.
Donovan filed a report with Brantford police, who provided a statement that reads in part, “The individuals responsible for these crimes are often transient in nature and appear to be targeting multiple jurisdictions. We encourage residents to remain vigilant, safeguard personal belongings, and report any suspicious activity to police.”
“It would be covered for $5,000 under ‘house insurance’, then my house insurance would go up,” said Donovan.
So Donovan is resigned to never seeing her necklace again.
“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” said Const. Trevor McKenna with Hamilton police.
Hamilton police are continuing to investigate the distracted theft in Flamborough, where an elderly woman was targeted on her driveway.
They say this illustrates an ongoing problem with these types of thefts on the rise in the city.
“In 2024, we had 54 occurrences of distracted thefts, and in 2025 heading into October alone, we’re already at 43,” said McKenna.
Hamilton police say it’s not so much where these crimes are happening, but who they are happening to.
“It’s vulnerable people; grandparents, elderly people in their driveways, or out for a walk,” said McKenna.
Hamilton police are urging residents to be aware of their surroundings, remove themselves from suspicious situations, and to contact them right away.
