A woman stole a gold chain from a man in the Bronx by swapping it with a fake one she claimed she was giving him as a thank you gift.

Surveillance footage shows the victim, 68-year-old Gaetano Lamaruggine, sitting in front of his house when he was approached by a woman who pulled up in what appears to be a black Mitsubishi.

Lamaruggine says the woman told him her mother was sick, needed medicine and asked him for directions to a nearby pharmacy.

After he gave her the directions, the woman hugged him and told him she was going to give him a chain to show appreciation for his help.

As the woman put the chain around his neck, Lamaruggine says she removed a gold chain he had already been wearing and left the scene.

Lamaruggine says he feels violated by the experience.

"This is so scary. I'm sitting on my front porch, and I became a victim of a crime,” he said. “This is so sad that she had to take my chain that I've had for so many years."

Police say they are currently investigating the incident.