Two Montreal families say a thief is going around, targeting the elderly, and the grift gets up close and personal.
Maria Pelle said her mother had a necklace, given to her by her late husband, stolen right off her neck.
It happened in the backyard of her East End home. Pelle said her mother was relaxing on her back deck when a stranger parked in the back alley.
"A woman walks through the gate, up the steps and walks right up to her," Pelle told CTV Montreal.
The woman then hugged Pelle's mother and stole the necklace during the embrace. The thief left behind a different necklace, but the one that was taken was priceless.
"This is my father, this is what she had left of him," Pelle said.
The family searched social media and found similar reports in Montreal and Laval.
"It happens in St-Leonard, it happened in Laval, it happened in RDP, Ahuntsic," she said. "It's happening all over the place."
Connie Muro said her mother was also a victim.
Muro said it happened while her mother was walking to church in July.
"They managed to remove [my mother's] earrings, her necklace without my mom noticing," said Muro. The hugging bandit also managed to walk away with two wedding rings and an engagement ring. The incident caused Muro's mother to stop walking to church.
"It's scary because she felt she couldn't defend herself," said Muro. "They caught her off guard."
Both families have filed a complaint with police.
To keep your loved ones safe, Montreal police say you should make sure they are aware of the situation and advise them to stay away from strangers.