On Tuesday, December 6, the 86-year-old victim boarded a bus from Bulwell to Nottingham city centre, arriving around 12.40pm.
At around 2.12pm, the victim had a coffee and then went to Lloyds Bank on Lower Parliament Street.
She requested a £2,000 withdrawal because she prefers to pay in cash rather than with a credit card and stashed the envelope in the bottom of her handbag.
Two women are said to have followed her into the bank and watched her.
She then walked out of the bank and went shopping at the Victoria Centre.
A woman approached her in a shop and asked for her assistance in retrieving an item from a shelf.
As she walks out of the store, she notices her handbag has been rummaged through and the envelope has gone missing.
This was an appalling theft on an elderly victim who is very active and enjoys her regular trips into the city,” said PC Madison Moss-Hayes, who is investigating the incident.
“She has suffered a significant financial loss, which understandably has left her distraught. We are doing everything possible to apprehend and prosecute those responsible.
“We’ve released photos of two women we’d like to speak with about our inquiries. Please contact us right away if you know the two women or are the two women in the photos.
We would also like to urge anyone withdrawing large sums of money from their bank to exercise caution or avoid doing so. In order to catch you off guard, thieves will frequently use distraction tactics such as appearing to need help with something or attempting to befriend you.”
If you recognise the two people in the images, please contact 101 immediately, quoting incident number 0500 of December 6, 2022, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
