Police Say Bank 'Jugging' Is On The Rise -- But What Is It?

THOUSAND OAKS (CBSLA)  -- Police say bank "jugging" is on the rise.

Of course, the next question is ... what is bank jugging?

KCAL9's Rachel Kim reports that a thief watches you come out of a bank and put money in your vehicle.

The suspect follows you. If you leave the vehicle unattended, the suspect -- often in a mask -- jumps out of their car, shatters side glass with a window punch. Then jumps in. After finding your money under the seat, he takes off.

It's been happening a lot in Thousand Oaks.

"I'm not wanting to be a target in any way," says Thousand Oaks resident Tiffany Campbell.

Investigators told Kim bank jugging involves suspects who wait in bank parking lots or lobbies to watch customers, usually those who carry bags of cash. Residents Kim spoke with -- like Campbell -- are surprised this is happening in their community.

"Some things happen from time to time, yes, but not like this way, not people follow people from the bank," says Mahmoud Elhawary, a Thousand Oaks resident.

Kim showed a "jugging" caught on tape on February 19. Detectives say the suspects strike most often from 10:30-11 a.m.

Police want residents to be aware of what's going on and take precautions.

"I always deal in, like everybody else, checks and credit cards, you don't need to carry cash with you, unless it's a business, I understand," says Elhawary.

"I try to just do things on PayPal or Venmo or online and not have cash with me." says Campbell.

Police are warning the public to hide money when they leave a bank. They also told Kim they were not sure if more than one crew is operating in the area.