A few days ago, I was in a store watching someone pay for her items at checkout. When the cashier asked her for her credit card, she produced a wallet that was bulging with papers, bills, receipts and what could have been the remainder of an old peanut butter cracker!
She found the credit card – after laying everything out on the counter. I saw her Medicare card, social security card, driver’s license, and a cute picture of her grandkids throwing snowballs.
Now folks, I have written about fraud and scams, but do we need to help the perps? Laying everything out on a counter for anyone to scan, pickup, steal, or photograph is simply giving a gift to a fraudster.
Why must we carry everything we own in our wallet or purse? Is this the final resting place for all papers and cards? Do we blank out when we have to pay for something?
Is caution thrown to the wind when we “unpack” the wallet?
Months ago, I wrote about protecting yourself in a parking lot of a store. Maybe I should have said, always protect yourself whether inside or outside of the store.
We all know that we can become a victim of crime. What we must remember is that we need not be a volunteer to the criminal. Watch what you do when you do it. Look at your wallet and think, do I need all of this? If you are going to a store, bring the card you need, not six cards or anything else that’s not relevant to the transaction at-hand.
And, by the way, always check for pieces of a past lunch that were somehow forgotten and left in your bag. Let’s be careful out there, folks!
Take my advice for what it is…It’s just, AS I SEE IT!
