Words of Wisdom from SharLeigh

DON’T BECOME THE PERFECT
HOLIDAY “MARK”

The hustle and bustle of December makes for some very distracted people. This is when you must be on the alert, because not only are the holiday travelers and shoppers out there, but the professional pickpockets are too. Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the taking of ones money and valuables without the “mark” (victim) noticing the theft. Being a pickpocket requires manual dexterity and a scripted act of misdirection. They may work alone or in teams. You may become a mark without knowing it, only to find out later when the thieves have melted into the crowd. Case in point; while recently shopping at the Ontario Mills Mall, I placed my purse in a shopping cart on the kiddy seat. A man approached me with a craft kit in his hand and wanted to know if it was a proper gift for a girl. I turned to look at the kit but something made me turn back just in time to see another man with his hand in my purse. I yelled at the top of my lungs, which caused the thief to drop my wallet and flee. I turned to look at the other man but he was nowhere in sight. There are two types of pickpockets – the strategists and the opportunists. The strategist creates a diversion to get your attention away from your belongings while the opportunist waits for the perfect mark (a person asleep at an airport, someone with an overloaded backpack, or a purse slung over a chair in a restaurant). One popular distraction tactic is spilled food – while you help clean up, they lift your wallet. On escalators, a thief will drop something just as he is getting off, causing a pile up, and as the people compress behind, you never feel the one that is taking your wallet. In a public restroom, a crook will drop coins on the floor, and when you bend down to help pick them up his partner picks your pocket or reaches over the stall to take your stuff. While all of these deeds are dastardly, the only way to avoid them is to be on the alert! Make sure you are always aware of your valuables and surrounding area. Don’t let your Holiday fun get “interrupted” by a pickpocket.

Words of Wisdom from SharLeigh

DON’T BECOME THE PERFECT HOLIDAY “MARK”

DON’T BECOME THE PERFECT
HOLIDAY “MARK”