Shoppers be wary
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

The woman told police she thought her purse was safe in the back seat of her car.

She had placed the purse on the seat while loading packages into the trunk after shopping at a local shopping center last month. When she prepared to drive off, however, a thief seemed to come out of nowhere, open her car door and grab the purse off the back seat, said Senior Dep. Bob Maclean with the Camarillo Police Department.

"They were very brazen," he said of the purse snatchers.

In Thousand Oaks, crooks attached an electronic card reader to a bank's ATM recently and extracted account information from unsuspecting victims as they used the ATM, according to police.

Senior Dep. Larry Logan of the Thousand Oaks Police Department said 33 years in law enforcement have taught him to expect a hike in crime during the holidays because thieves have more opportunities to steal.

Law enforcement officials say criminals are finding more creative ways to separate holiday shoppers from their money and are warning residents to take precautions.

When at an ATM, for example, residents should scrutinize the card slot and go elsewhere if they see a piece of plastic or wire coming from the opening. Shoppers should immediately pocket their bank card and money when leaving an outside ATM.