- Leave unnecessary valuables at home.
- Credit cards, cash, driver's license and jewelry should be carried in a coat or sweater pocket to reduce the chance for large losses.
- Don't put your cell phone in your purse.
- Program the credit card companies' 800 numbers into your cell phone so you can cancel the cards right away.
- Don't wrap the purse strap around your shoulder or wrist. If the purse is grabbed, a strong strap will not yield easily, and you may be injured. Instead, hold the bag firmly under one arm.
- Look through your wallet and remove what you don't need to carry. Take only the credit cards you need to use. Never carry any card with your Social Security number or personal identification numbers on it.
- Run through scenarios in your head, such as, “What would I do if ...?” to help you decide how you should respond.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Park as close to the door as possible. Avoid parking near large vehicles you can't see around.
- Park in a well-lighted area. Look around to see where the surveillance cameras are pointed, and park near one that appears to be pointed toward your vehicle.
- Lock all your vehicle's doors to prevent someone from sneaking into your car and waiting for you. Don't leave packages or other items in your vehicle that might prove attractive to thieves.
- Never leave your purse on the store counter or in a grocery cart — even for a moment.
- Try to walk to and from the store, office or other building with a companion. When you leave after dark, walk in well-lighted areas. Use campus, shopping center or office building security personnel if you are leaving late, by yourself or in the dark. Take advantage of the offer “Would you like help out with that?”
- Be aware of who may be following you. Thieves live for surprise. If they become aware that you're aware of them, they usually will pick an easier target.
- Be attentive if a large vehicle has parked next to you when you return to the parking lot. A thief might use the vehicle to block your view of him or her.
- Trust your instincts. If something doesn't seem right, don't wait to find out why you feel that way.
- If your purse or wallet is stolen, it is best just to let it go. Such situations easily can turn from robbery to physical violence.
- If you pull out a weapon, the robber could take it from you and use it against you.
- If you are robbed, focus on details you remember about the robber so that you can give information to police. Details such as clothing, body type, height, weight, hair color, tattoos, earrings, clothing, etc. In addition, try to get a license plate number and the make of the vehicle the robber is driving.
Sources: YWCA; Omaha Police; Safety and Health Council of Greater Omaha
The purse snatchers who took Judy Ries' purse Tuesday night didn't go very far -- a few blocks, actually -- before racking up $1,800 in charges on her credit card. That made it easier for Omaha police to catch the thieves.
Ries, 63, was loading groceries into her car about 8:20 p.m. after shopping at the Sam's Club near 132nd and L Streets.
A young man got out of a car that had pulled up behind her, yelled, "Ma’am!" and grabbed her purse off her shoulder. He then jumped back into the car, which tore out of the parking lot.
Another customer saw what had happened and called 911.
Ries, who was shaken by the encounter, gathered her wits about her and found the number to her credit-card company, which she kept separate from her purse.
As she was on the phone with a Visa customer service representative, someone else with the company was calling her.
That person asked if she had authorized six purchases of $300 each in the last few minutes. She hadn't, of course.
"Visa was really on the ball," Ries said this morning.
The Visa rep told her the charges had been made at a Walmart, but she had only the store number, not the address. Ries said Sam's Club workers knew the store number was the one for the nearby Walmart at 128th and L Streets.
The police officers who responded to the purse-snatching call rushed over to the Walmart and grabbed a 17-year-old boy. They caught his 18-year-old accomplice at the nearby Wendy's restaurant.
Each was booked into the Douglas County Youth Center on suspicion of robbery and unauthorized use of a financial transaction device.
Ries said the man who called 911 later told her he had noticed the two teens sitting in the parking lot for about 30 minutes, but he thought they might be waiting for someone they knew.
It turns out they were waiting for someone with a purse.
The two also had used her bank card as a credit card and charged $300, but were unsuccessful, Ries said.
Ries said she feels fortunate that the thieves were caught and she ended up with only bruised knuckles and a sore back.
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"It could have turned out worse," she said
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