Keep it Safe

By Andrew Ehinger

    If you remember the 80's cop drama Hill Street Blues, in just about every episode Sergeant Phil Esterhaus would point to his officers during roll call and say, "Hey, let's be careful out there". Well Suffolk police are saying that line in a little different way and this time to shoppers.

    Holiday shopping time is peak time for crooks looking to make a quick score with your money. Crowded shopping malls, kids distracting mom and dad, folks weighted down with packages are what police say crooks are looking for. But aside from stealing your money, they're also looking to take your idenitity. According to the FBI, identity theft is the fastest growing white collar crime. With just a little personal and financial information a thief can take hundreds possibly thousands of dollars and leave you with a financial headache.

So what can you do? Suffolk police say remain vigilant at all times and try and remember these tips when shopping in stores.

-   Minimize the damage of a lost or stolen wallet or purse by carrying only the identification and the credit cards you will need.
-   Leave your social security card in a safe place at home.
-   Shoppers should consider leaving their checkbooks at home and carrying only one credit card on which to charge their purchases.
-   Do not leave pocketbooks, wallets or important personal information in the glove compartment of unattended cars in store parking lots or in your driveway.
-   Do not leave pocketbooks or handbags in shopping carts.
-   While applying for instant credit at stores, be vigilant of the fact that a thief may be "shoulder surfing" as you provide your personal information to obtain the credit. This technique has been made easier by the pervasive availability of cell phone cameras that take digital pictures.

    When it comes to shopping on-line police say you also need to remain vigilant.
-  Consider internet transactions with companies you know.
-   Look for the "lock" security symbol on your internet browser page and look for "https" in the website address.
-   Do not provide personal information, especially your social security number, unless you know who will receive it.
-  Consider using a credit card for online purchases as it may offer better fraud protection than debit cards.