FBI Issues Jugging Warning: The 2 Minute Video Every Idahoan Needs to See

Are you a creature of habit? Some of us just function better when we stick to a routine as closely as possible. Unfortunately, your daily routine can make you a target for a serious crime that the FBI has nicknamed “jugging.”

The FBI recently said that they and their partners in smaller law enforcement agencies have seen a disturbing increase of armed robberies at financial institutions. We’re not talking about some made for the television bank hold up, we’re talking about something they’re calling “jugging.”

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In the warning the FBI explains jugging as “a crime in which a suspect or group of suspects target customers believed to have large amounts of cash. The perpetrators either rob customers while in the parking lot of a bank, credit union or ATM or follow them to their next location.”

Typically, suspects will threaten their victims with violence or assault them while wrestling the cash away. In some of the scariest jugging situations, they pull a gun on the victims.

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We mention routines, because the suspects in jugging cases frequently loiter in parking lots near these financial institutions to do a little surveillance on potential victims. You don’t notice them because they’re using common vehicles, but they’re watching you and seeing if there’s a pattern to how often you’re visiting the branch or ATM.

As the FBI mentioned, they may follow you too. If you always go directly from the bank to your home and use the same route, it wouldn’t take them long to figure out where you live. Getting comfortable and letting your guard down puts you and everyone you love at risk.

In their recent warning, the FBI suggests that if you think you’re being followed, drive to your nearest police station or a crowded, well-lit area.

What Prompted This Urgent Warning?

The FBI and its partners took an unusually high number of “jugging” reports in Maryland during the first week of July. We’re talking about 21 jugging incidents in just seven days. While the recent surge is in one area, these sorts of crimes have increased all over the country and are possible in Idaho.

‘Jugging’ Incident Caught on Video: 2 Minutes Every Idahoan Needs to See

A victim in Texas shared a video of the jugging incident that took place in his own driveway and it’s pretty heart-wrenching as his stepson was in the passenger seat during the incident. The video also shows an incident that took place at a gas station when a woman stopped to fill up after going to a nearby bank.

These videos serve as a warning to Idahoans, showing just how quickly a “jugging” incident can unfold and become violent.

Avoid Becoming a Jugging Victim in Idaho

The FBI reminds you to be aware of your surroundings while making a financial transaction at a bank or ATM. Behaviors like suspicious loitering in backed in, parked cars without leaving the vehicle to do business should set off your spidey senses.

You should report anything that seems a little off. Make sure you conceal your cash before leaving the branch or ATM and change up your daily routine if you regularly visit the bank.

Finally, they remind you to NOT be distracted by your phone as you’re leaving a financial institution.