Oct 6, 2009 11:55 pm US/Eastern
Cops Warn Of Burglars Preying On Holiday Shoppers
CBS 2 HD Has Dos And Don'ts Of Carrying Your Purchases
By KATHRYN BROWN, CBS 2 HD News
PARAMUS, N.J. (CBS) ―
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Early shoppers wait on line to pay for their goods at the Toys 'R' Us at Times Square in New York City.
Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images
Buyer beware -- but not of your purchases.
With the holidays around the corner, police are warning shoppers to protect themselves against desperate thieves, preying on preoccupied customers.
More than ever thieves are desperate, and police say they will go to great lengths to prey on innocent victims.
CBS 2 HD got a good look at a surveillance video that showed what women shouldn't be doing.
Walking alone, at night, purse in plain sight with arms full of shopping bags.
As the holiday shopping season gets underway thieves are becoming increasingly bold.
"The economy is bad and you never know what people are gonna do," said Lisa Guy of Cliffside Park.
"It's very scary. You gotta be very, very cautious," added Merita Maliqi.
Police are warning consumers about one scheme in particular that's growing more and more common.
We've all done it, especially when our hands are full -- unlock the car, toss our stuff in and walk around to get in. But police say this is the worst thing you can do because when you aren't watching your stuff, that's when the thief strikes.
"Oh yeah, all the time I put my bags in the trunk and go around the driver's side," Guy told CBS 2 HD.
CBS 2 HD watched Guy do it Tuesday night. Actually, she left the driver's side door open, tossed her purse in the trunk and walked back to the front, making her bags an easy target.
Then CBS 2 HD passed along the warning.
"Now I'm gonna look out. I never heard of that," Guy said.
Women with kids are especially vulnerable, because they're often even more distracted.
Security officers are beefing up patrols, urging shoppers to keep their finger on the panic button and be aware of their surroundings.
"I think you also have to be smart about what you're doing and don't go out alone at night," said shopper Samantha Cheese-Thompson of Teaneck, N.J.
Police say that's the best way to protect yourself.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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