Saratoga Co. Sheriff: ‘Gang’ stealing valuables from cars, dressing as victims to cash checks

SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a self-professed “gang” breaking into cars and using the items they steal to cash checks at area banks.

The Sheriff’s Office says members of the so-called “Felony Lane Gang” have committed a string of thefts in the area. The FBI describes the FLG as “a group of organized burglary and identity theft rings operating in multiple jurisdictions throughout the U.S.”

The gang targets both locked and unlocked cars typically parked in areas where women leave their purses or wallets in their car, such as day cares, gyms and parks.

Officials say the group then disguises themselves as their victims and uses the victims’ driver’s license to cash checks at area banks.

To avoid becoming a target, do not leave purses, wallets, or other valuables in the car, even if you are only leaving for a short time. the Sheriff’s Office says often, that’s all the time it takes.