5 Tips: Avoid Being Victimized by Identity Thieves and Pickpockets
By: Dorothy Riggs, CFE
Fraudsters are extremely savvy and will use every opportunity to cash-in at your expense. When most people think of protecting themselves from identity theft they tend to focus on shredding documents that include personal or account data, monitoring incoming/outgoing mail, and placing important documents in secure locations inside offices or homes. Don’t get me wrong, those are all great fraud deterrents. However, thieves not only target prospective victim’s homes, they target them at gas stations, grocery stores, gyms, parks, schools, day care centers, sports arenas and restaurants. Be mindful that crooks are always on the prowl. They lurk in wait at locations where people leave their handbags and wallets loosely attended for brief moments; for instance many women leave their handbags in the car for the two to three minutes it takes to walk junior inside the daycare center or in the grocery cart for 30 seconds as they turn to grab a can of green beans. But, just that quickly skilled thieves and pickpockets can steal your wallet. It often takes victims half an hour or more to discover the theft. By that time the damage has been done. They’ve already racked up transactions using your cards, checks and account information.
Because thieves think outside the box, you should too. Here are some tips that may help you avoid being victimized:
- It may be inconvenient or even a little less comfortable, but in the long run it’s worth it to keep your wallet, handbag, backpack, etc. secure and close to the front of your body. Pick-pockets often perform their most successful work in crowded areas, so keep important items in front of you in order to keep an eye on them.
- If at all possible, always take your wallet, handbag or checkbook with you when performing quick tasks like pumping gas or walking kids into the school. This also applies to longer activities like attending a ball game or going for a jog at the park. It’s not enough to put important items inside the glove compartment or a locked vehicle or even inside the trunk. Thieves anticipate that the items they seek are inside locked vehicles and they are highly skilled at breaking into vehicles and getting away quickly. However, placing your items into a locked vehicle trunk is probably more secure than the glove compartment if no other alternative is available.
- Don’t ever hang your handbag on the back of your chair during dinner. Skilled thieves can quickly steal your wallet and even your whole handbag during your meal without your knowledge.
- Thieves often target locker rooms at gyms. So, don’t be confident that your belongings are safe because you placed them into your gym locker. Find another alternative if you can’t work out with your wallet on your person.
- Keep wallets tucked deep into your front pocket or inside a zipped compartment in your handbag
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