A Nordstrom Rack in Riverside has been ransacked by a band of six thieves who made off with thousands of dollars worth of designer handbags.

The incident comes as Southern California experiences a wave of ‘flash robberies’, where a group of thieves overwhelm a store’s employees and security before making off with as many items as possible.

The department store on Canyon Springs Parkway was hit first on July 10 and again just weeks later in a separate incident on August 14.

Surveillance footage from the first attack reveals a group of men and women entering the store, and making a bee line for the handbag and accessories section.

The suspects are seen violently snatching the bags from display shelves while others are seen ripping the purses from security lock devices.

The brazen group loaded their arms and hands with as much as they could carry before running out of the building and driving away from the scene.