Three women have been jailed for a series of distraction burglaries in which they targeted vulnerable elderly and lone women across Manchester, charming and distracting them before stealing their jewellery. The case matters as a stark example of predatory street theft aimed at some of the most defenceless members of the public, including a 97-year-old woman who was robbed of an antique jade bracelet while waiting for her husband.

Geta Schian, 33, Geneza Dumitru, 35, and Sefora Mazarache, 27, operated together between October 2025 and January, complimenting, hugging and kissing victims before snatching their valuables. Newly released CCTV footage shows two of the women surrounding the 97-year-old as she sat on a walking aid on Dale Street, holding her wrist and embracing her while removing her bracelet, with the third acting as a lookout. In a separate October 2025 incident, one of the group targeted a mother walking her son to nursery in Rusholme. The trio were arrested in January and sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Monday to a combined total of more than six years in prison.