News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters shoppers should exercise a modicum of common sense security to avoid having the Grinch steal their Christmas.
There are plenty of Grinches out there, from identity thieves to car clouters, burglars and pickpockets.
"It's basically the same every year," said Black Butte Ranch Police Chief Gil Zaccaro. "Watch what you're doing. Be aware of your surroundings."
Zaccaro says one of the major breaches of shopper security he sees is women leaving their purses open in a shopping cart at the grocery store.
"When you're grocery shopping, don't be down the aisle with your purse in the cart and open," Zaccaro said.
A reasonably competent thief "could go to Ray's in Sisters and walk out of there in five minutes with three wallets," he said. Or, a thief could steal a credit card out of an exposed wallet with the owner never being the wiser - and it takes just minutes to ring up thousands of dollars in credit card charges.
Zaccaro also advises shoppers not to have their card in plain view while waiting to make a purchase. Thieves read numbers or even use sophisticated scanners to read the card's magnetic strip. Keep the card in your wallet until it's time to hand it to the sales clerk.
Businesses have a role to play in credit card security, too.
The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a reminder to businesses that federal law calls for them to truncate electronically processed credit card receipts to include no more than the last five digits of the card number and to delete the expiration date.
The law applies to the receipts the customer is given, not to the receipts the businesses retain for their own records.
According to the FTC, credit card numbers and expiration dates on sales receipts provide helpful information for scammers trying to commit identity theft. Businesses that fail to comply face penalties, and some shoppers have identified Sisters businesses that have not yet updated their equipment to truncate numbers.
Mail security is also important during the holidays.
Sergeant Chad Davis of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office recommends that mail be picked up as close to delivery time as possible at rural mailboxes. Or, have your relatives send Christmas checks to a post office box.
Mail security is important, "...especially with kicker checks coming," Davis said. "We get people who go out and pilfer rural mailboxes for that."
Never leave bills in the mailbox with the flag up; it's an invitation to identity thieves, Zaccaro noted.
With the growing popularity of cyber-shopping, it is important to extend security-consciousness to the Internet. Davis advises using only reputable sites for shopping, sites that have an established and well-known presence on the Web or those that are connected with known catalogue or brick-and-mortar stores.
"Verify the people you are dealing with," Davis said.
Most police recommendations amount to simple common sense - but that can be hard to keep in mind during a busy and stressful holiday season.
"Locking your vehicle is number-one," Davis said. "Stow your purchases in the trunk, out of view."
Don't leave purses, cell phones or digital cameras in the car. Park in well-lit areas, as close to shops as possible.
Many people travel during the holidays. Zaccaro recommends asking a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on things while you are gone.
"Your neighbor is your best insurance," he said.
Stop mail and newspaper delivery or ask your neighbor to pick them up.
Davis said it is important that people report any suspicious activity. Don't ignore that voice that tells you something isn't right.
"I think people downplay that a little bit," Davis said. "They say, 'That's weird,' but they don't call (police). I think people should be encouraged to call."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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