PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A string of purse-snatchings in recent months appear to have targeted elderly Asian women in Portland’s Jade District, officials said.

Crime Stoppers of Oregon said Friday that the Portland Police Bureau had received at least a dozen reports of pedestrian thefts and robberies since early December.

The thefts happened near the intersection of Southeast 82nd Avenue and Southeast Division Street and, authorities said, they all targeted elderly Asian women. At least 2 of those women were hurt during the robberies.

Rosaline Hui, the editor of the Portland Chinese Times, worried that there may have been more robberies that have gone unreported due to a language barrier. She said the rash of robberies has made women afraid to go out alone.

Hui said one victim was robbed at the popular Fubonn Shopping Center.

“She heard them say ‘catch her’ and then that guy comes from behind, pushes her, and then she fell down,” said Hui.

PPB detectives started working undercover in the Jade District in an effort to catch whoever is involved in the thefts.

Authorities asked for the public’s help in identifying 4 different black male suspects caught on camera using one of the victim’s credit cards shortly after they were stolen. The suspects are thought to be between 16 and 20 years old with tall, thin builds.

You can submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Oregon online or by calling 503.823.4357.