Package, purse thefts increase during holidays

While online retailers have made shopping more convenient, law enforcement said caution is needed.

While online retailers have made holiday shopping more convenient, area law enforcement said caution is needed with packages delivered to your home.

Over the past few years as online holiday shopping has become more and more popular, there’s been an increase in reports of packages being stolen, Lake County Sheriff Daniel Dunlap said.

Willowick Detective Mark Guerrieri said they’re unsure whether people are just seeing packages on door steps and stealing them or if they’re following delivery trucks.

Wickliffe Lt. Pat Hengst said if you’re expecting a package then make sure someone is home to receive it, or have a neighbor keep an eye out for it. People can also ask the package to be delivered to a back door, he said.

Dunlap said they also tend to see more vehicle break-ins during the holiday season, with people leaving gifts or packages in plain sight. He said people need to make sure to keep things locked up in a car trunk, away from opportunistic eyes.

He added people should not put valuable items on the seat even if they’re just running into the store for a few minutes.

Purse thefts also tend to increase during the holiday season, Dunlap said. Willowick had a recent case of a purse being stolen.

According to the police department, on Nov. 20 they received a report from an elderly woman who said her purse has snatched as she was putting grocery bags into her car in the parking lot of the Marc’s at the Shoregate Shopping Plaza.

Willowick police offer several tips to help discourage potential purse snatchers:

• Leave your purse at home. Carry necessary items (ID and money) in a wallet, tucked safely in your pocket. If you don’t have pockets and/or there are additional items you prefer to carry, such as makeup, keys, and a phone, consider putting them in a bag that wraps around your stomach and can be hidden from view, or a backpack strapped around both shoulders so that it can’t easily be snatched.

• Bring only what you need. Don’t carry any more cash or credit cards than you absolutely need to do your shopping that day. Usually, one credit card is enough, and you should have the customer service number written down somewhere so that you can report the card stolen

Wickliffe Lt. Pat Hengst said if you’re expecting a package then make sure someone is home to receive it, or have a neighbor keep an eye out for it. People can also ask the package to be delivered to a back door, he said.

immediately if your purse is snatched. Decide even before leaving the house whether the contents of your purse are worth getting hurt for.

• Walk in busy, well-lit areas. You may think that you’re exposing yourself to more purse snatchers, but they are more likely to strike in dark, isolated areas because they don’t want to get caught. Walk briskly and confidently. Bring a friend.

• Be aware of the area and the people, especially if you find yourself having to walk in an isolated or lightly populated area. Look at the person who might approach or pass you. Do not look away. Look directly at their hands or at what they might be carrying. They prefer to strike and run, and not be recognized. If you do not appear to be vulnerable and will be able to give their description, they just might keep walking past you.

• Hold your purse tightly and close to your body, whether on a bus, train, or walking. If possible, wear it underneath a coat or jacket. Also, secure the latch or zipper. You might be tempted to wear your purse diagonally on your body (over the neck as well as the shoulder) or loop the strap around your wrist to prevent the purse from being easily snatched, but keep in mind that if someone does try to steal your purse, a hard yank on tightly wound purse strap can cause injury.

• If you believe someone is following you, don’t turn around but rather use a shiny object like a car mirror or window to look back.

• Shorten the strap on your purse so you can carry it tightly between your elbow and body.

• Remember that you come before your purse. If someone pulls it away from your hands or your shoulder, let it go. It is more important to avoid injury than save a purse. Never fight to keep it.

• Report anything or anyone suspicious. If you suspect that someone seems to be lurking someplace that they do not belong, contact security if you are in a mall, or contact the manager if you are in a supermarket. Better to report your suspicions and be wrong, than to ignore it and be robbed or hurt.

Another crime that law enforcement sees an increase of during the holiday season is scams.

According to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office, those scams include:

Job scams could appear to offer work in mystery shopping or package shipping positions that lure consumers into an online “interview” or chat.

Package delivery scams are tied to notices alerting the consumer a nonexistent package or prize is ready for pick-up.

Advance-fee loan scammers offer fake online applications that require fee payment up front.

Online shopping scams ask for advance payment for offers they never deliver.

Charity scams involve solicitors misrepresenting a charity with vague or phony claims.

The Willoughby Police Department offers the following advice to avoid being scammed:

• I’ll get back with you soon (and then hang up the phone).

• Call that relative back on their personal cell phone, home phone, school phone, not the number given to you by the caller.

• Call the relative’s parents and ask them about this “problem” you were just confronted with. Basically you’re taking five extra minutes to substantiate this “problem.”

• If you can’t make these contacts, call your location law enforcement agency for assistance.

• Remember, how do you pay for school, insurance, and other debts? Do you use big-box store gift cards to pay for bail money, insurance bills and hospital bills? No. Attorneys and jails never taken money electronically.

DeWine encourages people to avoid acting on something that “doesn’t seem right” and to contact his consumer protection division with questions or concerns.

Overall, Dunlap said that while certain crimes tend to spike around this time they don’t see any major increase in crime during the holidays. There tends to be a decrease in crimes reported during the wintertime overall, he said.

“Jack Frost is a good police officer,” Dunlap said.