Hey everyone - I saw this article on news.com this morning Theft teams target mums in maternity wards | NEWS.com.au
(apologies if I'm not supposed to post the link, but I thought it was important) about a group of thieves who are going around the maternity wards, stealing Mum's purses and then cleaning out their bank accounts. To everyone who will be going into hospital soon to have their babies PLEASE! leave your purse at home with your partner, keep only a minimal amount of cash on you and send your valuables home with partner too. Do not keep all your ID with you as this is how these people steal from your bank accounts!
Let all your belly buddies know......
Last edited by thepixie; July 20th, 2008 at 08:12 AM.
I cannot believe that people can be so selfish and heartless. I'm sure they will pay the price soon enough. I'm sure these poor women are waiting for that day to come!
I was the victim of a similar type of scheme which was just one woman targeting school staff rooms. She entered the staff area, took my credit card out of my wallet but left the wallet and bag where they were and then proceeded to shop up a storm on my card. The first I knew the card was stolen was when the credit card company called me about unusual use on the card.
It is just far too easy for people like this to access places with poor security like schools and hospitals.
As much as I'd like to believe they will have caught them by January, it's a bit scary to see the hospital I plan to use on that list. I'll certainly be leaving things like cards and credit cards at home. Although I do have a slight advantage in that my bank doesn't allow us to change PIN numbers. It's just not worth the hassle of having to cancel cards and get new ones issued at a time when you should be able to relax and enjoy your new baby.
It sucks that new mummies are targeted like that but both hospitals I've been to have made a BIG deal about valuables.
One even said don't wear your rings because sometimes after the birth you can have a bit of swelling so need to remove them and they could be stolen from your room as well as cameras etc
That is terrible, just a reminder of the scum that is out there and that you always have to be on the lookout for yourselves! I work in hospital and I always encourage my patients to put their wallets, ids, ect in the lockup drawer next to their beds just to be careful!
It happens all over the country on a regular basis where iw ork we tell woman not to bring anything of value to hospital and also staff are encouraged if they dont have a locker or dont use there licker to have nothing of value at work.
Just after I had DS one of the MW had her bag stolen from under the counter at the nurses station in the delivery ward. How pathetic is that? Being in the delivery ward, it was more than likely the father of a baby she had just delivered!
When DH was in emergency a couple of times early last year he caught an old lady going though peoples possessions. A number of the patients were too out of it to notice. There was so much coming and going it was hard to pick up what she was doing. From the sounds of it she just came in off the street, how she got in they don't know.
It is a good reminder of how low some people will stoop. Instead of being congratulated on a job well done we have to watch who comes into our rooms. Hope they catch them soon.
Our hossy tells you not to bring in any valuables, and they only let people in the maternity ward during visiting hours 2-4 & 6-8, the rest of the time outsiders cant get into that ward. They have also warned us during visiting hours not to leave any valuables we might have bought in unattended.
If I need anything DF can hang on to it & if I need it in the middle of the night, too bad I'll just have to wait.
Its horrible that that sort of thing happens to new mums, it just devastating
Oh my god, yet another reason to stick to homebirth!
I thought this was going to be about people kidnapping newborns, which is incredibly rare, not this!
I remember when mum died we didn't put a notice in the paper for the funeral because there were theives robbing houses when people were out at the crematorium
I agree Lulu, you expect theft in institutions like hospitals but the lack of security in the banks is horrific.
Bec, I think people target houses during funerals, weddings etc all over the world. We got a freind of my brothers to stay in our house while we were at Mum's funeral. It sucks that at such a time you have to worry about theft on top of everything else.
Yes this does happen
Happened to me in the hospital when i had DS cause he was in special care i wsnt in my room much and they took my wallet and lifted $1000 from my bank account, my mobile phone and my camera (all my newborn photos were gone) My house had been done the week before (on DS due date) so sorry home birth doesnt rule you out, lost my wedding engagement and eternity ring which turned up in cash converters. Yes it does really suck but i had DS to cheer me up
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