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Steer Clear of Thanksgiving Thievery with These Helpful Tips

Published on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 | 3:15 pm
 

The Pasadena Police Department has released an advisory for people to be aware of an increase in purse and wallet thefts during the holiday season. The advisory said some of these thefts have occurred during past Thanksgiving celebrations, primarily while unaware victims are dining at popular restaurants or coffee shops, shopping at the grocery store, or browsing at busy retailers.

“While it may seem convenient to leave your open purse in the shopping cart’s child seating area, or hung over your chair at the restaurant, this is when you are most vulnerable,” Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said in a Holiday Pickpockets and Wallet Thefts Alert posted Tuesday.

Ibarra said the thieves involved in these incidents are “very good as stealing without being detected and (they are) very fast.”

“They are often standing right next to you, seated behind you, and he/she is often having one of their accomplices casually chatting with you as they swiftly reach into your purse and take your wallet,” Ibarra said. “It is not until the victim reaches for his or her wallet that they realize it was stolen. And the thieves have already rung up hundreds of dollars in fraudulent purchases on your credit cards.”

Ibarra said thieves look like every average shopper and are both male wallet-grabbers and female distractors. Past cases have indicated they are sometimes well dressed in blazers, leather jackets, and polo shirts; they like to wear sunglasses, even when indoors, and they are often talking on their cell phones while loitering suspiciously.

The suspects usually won’t have shopping bags or shopping carts so they can maneuver quickly and vacate the premise, the alert said.

Among the tips for avoiding being a victim of these pickpockets and thieves, as enumerated by the Pasadena Police Department: have a watchful eye, be aware of your surroundings and who is standing near you at all times, be alert for overly friendly persons, and keep your purse zipped closed and/or wallet secure, in your view and preferable with your hand over the zipper opening.

“If you see suspicious activity, please alert your local law enforcement agency promptly. See Something, Say Something!” the alert said.

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