Distraction robber targets elderly West LA woman on her porch

LOS ANGELES - A West Los Angeles woman still has the fake chain a thief draped over her while the real necklace was stolen off of her.

Priti does not want to give her last name for safety reasons but was robbed the day after Mother's Day by a woman pretending to ask for directions.

A Ring camera video shows a woman getting out of a white car and then heading over to Priti. The woman is then seen clasping her hands over Priti as if she is blessing her.

"I have to give this away because it’s my birthday," is what the stranger told Priti and then she started putting the necklace on her neck.

"I don’t know how she pulled the chain so fast," added Priti. "In 20 seconds, she took my chain off, but I didn’t feel anything on my neck, my skin – nothing was rubbing."

The video shows the stranger move something from her right hand to left behind Priti’s head.

"I was just completely geared into what she was saying, so I was congratulating her," said Priti. "I said, ‘Happy birthday to you! Oh, I wish I have something to give you.’"

The woman kisses Priti’s hand in the video before walking back to the car. 

Priti’s son Paraag says they didn’t notice the necklace was missing until a few days later because it’s one his mother wears all the time.

"I know my mom is a good judge of character so that’s why even when I see the video, she [the stranger] looks like a nice sweet lady," said Paraag.

The mother and son have filed a police report but learned that the phenomenon is more prevalent than they thought.

Dozens of cases called of so-called "gypsy thieves" going back years in LA and other parts of California.

"You want to trust people but boy after this," said Paraag. "Not that we’re going to be less trusting, but we’re going be a little more on-guard."