ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office is warning people in the county of a gang of criminals that are targeting vehicles in break-ins.

Deputies say they have received several reports of vehicles being broken into at parks and other recreational areas.

Investigators say that the suspects are stealing purses and sensitive financial information from the vehicles. The suspects are then allegedly going to local stores and purchasing thousands of dollars in gift cards and money orders.

Deputies say that the suspects are known to law enforcement agencies as the “Felony Lane Gang.”

The suspects are known to drive rental vehicles with out-of-state tags or use fake paper temporary tags to conceal the true registration, according to investigators. Most of them are not local to Alamance County or even North Carolina.

Deputies say that “Felony Lane Gang” is known to commit similar crimes across multiple states on the east coast; typically targeting parked cars in recreational areas during the warm weather months.

The ACSO recommends that people visiting parks and other recreational areas should keep their valuables on their person or hide them in a location that is not visible from the outside of their vehicle such as the trunk.

If your vehicle is broken into and sensitive financial information is taken, it is crucial to report the crime to law enforcement and your bank.

The ACSO also is asking local retailers to verify the identity of anyone purchasing large amounts of gift cards to the names on the credit cards. Deputies say that the suspects are usually concealing their identities from surveillance footage by wearing hoodies and COVID masks.

Pictured below are a suspect and the vehicle that was used in one of the break-ins:

You can contact the ACSO at (336) 570-6300.