A luxury watch can tell people a lot about you — including, potentially, whether you’re a good target for theft.
That became a problem for several men in Miami who police say were targeted after meeting women for dates. Their watches disappeared after their evenings took a turn, with one man reporting that a watch worth more than $150,000 was stolen.
According to police reports cited by NBC 6 South Florida, the watches included a Bell & Ross timepiece valued at about $170,000 and two Rolex watches valued at $15,000 each. In at least two cases, the men also reported missing phones or credit cards.
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None of the men were shopping for watches or flashing them around a jewelry store. According to police, the alleged thefts happened after date nights that started with a casual drink.
What happened?
Police arrested Ayzha Flenoury, 42, on Sept. 8 and accused her of involvement in three separate theft cases dating back to April.
In the first theft case, a New Jersey man visiting Miami told police he met Flenoury at a bar and later brought her back to his hotel. He said he had been drinking and eventually passed out. When he woke up, his Bell & Ross BR Minuteur Tourbillon titanium watch was gone. The watch was valued at roughly $170,000. His wallet and credit cards were missing, too.
Police said the cards were later used for more than $1,500 in purchases at stores including Target, Publix, and Walgreens.
In July, another man told police he brought Flenoury and another woman back to his apartment after meeting them at a Miami restaurant. He reported that his $15,000 Rolex was stolen.
Then, in August, police said a third man met two women at a Miami club and later went to a motel. He eventually lost consciousness and was hospitalized. When he woke up, his $15,000 Rolex and $1,200 iPhone were missing.
Prosecutors described the cases in court as “bad date” cases, according to NBC 6. In each case, police say the men met the women — Flenoury was involved in all three incidents — during a night out before bringing them back to a hotel, apartment, or motel. They later realized their watches and, in some cases, other belongings were missing.
Flenoury faces multiple felony charges of grand theft and burglary that have not been proven in court.
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How your watch can make you a target
When it comes to visible wealth, luxury watches are typically difficult to hide. A Rolex or another expensive watch is sitting on your wrist, and someone who knows watches may recognize it without knowing anything about you.
You might not even realize someone has noticed it. A recognizable brand or model can be enough to tell a stranger that the watch is worth serious money.
The FBI says jewelry theft investigations can stretch across cities and even countries. Thieves may use “fences,” or people who help turn stolen jewelry into cash. The agency lists Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York City as major U.S. cities for fencing stolen jewels.
The watch doesn’t necessarily have to be taken off your wrist, either. It could disappear from a hotel room, apartment, or car after you’ve taken it off. In the Miami cases, police allege the watches went missing after the men had spent time with women they had just met.
There’s no reason to assume every person wearing a Rolex is going to be targeted. But if you own an expensive watch, it’s worth being aware of who knows you have it. Avoid advertising the purchase price or your collection on social media, especially when posting real-time locations.
If someone you’ve just met is unusually interested in your watch or asks to handle it, you can simply say no. And when you’re meeting someone new, particularly while traveling, a public place is a better option for a meetup than heading straight somewhere private. Keep an eye on your drink and your belongings, too.
Then there’s the boring stuff. Keep the receipt, appraisal, photographs, model information and serial number for any valuable somewhere safe. Check your insurance policy, too. Standard homeowners coverage can have limits on expensive watches and other valuables, and you may need additional coverage for a particularly valuable piece.
If the watch goes missing, you’ll want those details handy. The model and serial number can help police identify it, and your records can also make an insurance claim easier to document.
When a watch is worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, knowing exactly what you own — and having the paperwork to prove it — is worth the effort.
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Laura Grande is a freelance contributor with nearly 15 years of industry experience. Throughout her career she's written about and edited a range of topics, from personal finance and politics to health and pop culture.
