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 th