Be Aware of Bank Jugging

December 2, 2021

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The jugger's dodge minivan pulling onto the street.

On November 18th around 11 AM, a bank jugging occurred at the ShopRite on Freemansburg Avenue in Bethlehem. The female victim, who had just left the Bank of America on Butztown Road and headed to the ShopRite, was followed by the depicted Dodge minivan, which had been parked next to the victim's vehicle at the bank, watching as the victim withdrew a sum of cash and put the envelope in her vehicle's glove box. Once at ShopRite, the person in the Dodge minivan waited for the victim to enter the store before exiting their minivan, smashing the victim's front passenger side window, and stole the envelope.

If anyone has any information relative to this incident, please contact Inv. Fox at (610)-419-9646 or email at efox@bethlehemtwp.com

This criminal act is referred to as "bank jugging." A criminal actor watches for people entering and leaving banks until they notice someone who they suspect has left the bank with cash on them. The actor then follows that person to their next location, before proceeding to take the money by force or breaking into the individual's car or home to steal the unattended cash.

The FBI offers several tips to avoid becoming a victim of bank jugging:

• Be on the lookout for individuals backed into parking spaces who do not exit their vehicle to conduct business.
• Be vigilant when using ATMs, as juggers typically target individuals using ATMs. However, individuals leaving the branch should exercise caution as they could also be targeted.
• Be vigilant when arriving and departing. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t leave your car or the building if you notice suspicious vehicles parked in or around the parking lot.
• Conceal your money before you leave the bank/credit union.
• Don't openly carry bank bags, envelopes or coin boxes.
• Watch for people following you.
• If you suspect you are being targeted/followed, call 911 and keep the dispatcher on the line to describe your location, where you are headed, etc. and keep driving until a marked police car finds you.
• Never leave a bank bag (hidden or not) in your car unattended.

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