OAKLAND — Police here are investigating a robbery crew that uses the same modus operandi to target drivers around Oakland by rear-ending them and striking during a routine information exchange.

The crew has been linked to several robberies around the city where the suspects will get into a fender bender on purpose, then leap from their cars with masks and strip their victims of valuables, according to authorities.

The strategy was used in one Nov. 21 robbery on the 2800 block of International Boulevard, where the victim was forced to give up a Rolex watch, wedding ring and other jewelry totaling $15,500, authorities said. Police have linked the crew to other robberies, including a purse snatching in Hayward.

They also located a vehicle used in the robberies and identified at least one suspect, though no charges have been filed in the incidents, court records show.

Robbers targeting drivers is nothing new for the East Bay. In 2023, police investigated an Oakland robbery crew that would use multiple cars to box in victims, then commit armed carjackings, authorities said at the time.