Fraud Alert - Watch Your Shopping Habits
I went into a retail store to purchase a few things. The checkout lines extended halfway into the store. People were bunched up, trying to make the lines smaller, while trying to hold their items for purchase and calling out to children who were bored and running around. I walked out after remembering that school shopping was in full bloom. I said to myself, “That scene was an ID theft nightmare waiting to happen!”
Here are a few reminders for grandparents and/or parents who might be taking children shopping for school supplies and other necessities:
- Carry economic information, like a credit/debit card and checks in a neck wallet, fanny pack, or the pockets of your clothing;
- Ladies, don’t set your purse down on the floor or leave it in a shopping cart while looking at items or chasing after a wayward child;
- Never leave anything of value, including a purse, in your car;
- To the best of your ability, try to keep your eye on your credit card at all times; try not to lay it on a counter while waiting for purchases to be tallied;
- Remember that the numbers of your credit card on a receipt, both your customer copy and the retail copy, must be truncated;
- Try to be aware of your surroundings as thieves love chaos and turmoil, including lots of people, noise, and distractions, as a context for stealing personal information;
- If personal information is stolen, call the Fraud Hotline (303-271-6980) to receive assistance in guarding your loss against ID theft.
Source: District Attorney Scott Storey, Office of Jefferson/Gilpin Counties, Colorado
