MCKINNEY, Texas — Lori Gibbs will tell you she is mad at herself. But the truth is, any one of us could have been her sitting down for a meal at a Panera in McKinney recently.
"They had just walked in looking for a target. I was oblivious and I shouldn't have been," Gibbs told WFAA.
Surveillance video the family offered to WFAA shows Gibbs eating at a table. Her purse was hanging on the back of the chair. On video, you see another woman carefully grab the purse and take her wallet while two men stand guard.
"We're talking 15 to 20 seconds probably. She was quick," Gibbs said.
John Matthews, who is a security expert and consults with companies and police departments, has seen this many times before.
"It's not uncommon that they work in teams," Matthews said.
Matthews says a restaurant is the perfect spot for a thief. He says no one expects to be robbed at a restaurant because we're usually too busy to notice.
"It takes just a second for someone to reach in and grab it and be gone," said Matthews.
Soon after the robbery happened, Gibbs started getting messages from her bank about thousands of dollars in charges.
"What's scary is I didn't even feel it. That's how good she was at this," Gibbs said.
Matthews says avoid putting your purse down at your side. If you must hang your purse, then place a sweater or jacket over it for an extra layer of protection.
Men are more likely to place wallets and phones on the table. Matthews says that is also an easy opportunity for thieves.
McKinney Police is looking for the three people in this video and welcome any tips from the public.