Holiday pickpocketing thefts increasing

CHICAGO (NBC) - With the holiday season approaching quickly, pickpockets are working overtime. One Chicago woman, Denise Marks, said she had her wallet stolen twice.

The first time she was trying to walk out of a Starbucks while carrying coffee, a briefcase and a purse when a rude man blocked the doorway while talking on his cell phone. Marks said she told the man, "Excuse me," but he would not budge. He kept talking on his cell phone instead.

"I said, 'Excuse me!'" said Marks. "He goes, 'Oh, OK, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' Then he moved out of the way."

Marks said she then walked back to her office. A few hours later she looked in her purse.

"The wallet was gone," said Marks. "I knew exactly when it happened. I knew it was that guy at the door."

The thief used Marks' card for an $1,800 shopping spree. Then, last Friday, a pickpocket targeted Marks again as she was boarding a train. Someone bumped into Marks, who had replaced her wallet, credit cards and license. In a split second, they were gone again.

"I was cursing, and I'm sure people thought I was crazy on the train," said Marks. "I said 'Something-expletive, not again.'"

Marks said she shared her story so that what happened to her would not happen to anyone else. Overall Chicago thefts, robberies and burglaries have increased 17 percent since 2007. Chicago police put on a pickpocket demonstration every year during the holidays, showing how thieves often work in pairs. One distracts, while the other grabs.

Tips to avoid pickpockets:

• Women are advised to hold purses tight, keeping them zipped closed
• Men are advised to keep their wallets in their front pocket