My wallet is in the bottom of my purse, which is zipped. It would definitely take enough time and be loud enough for me to hear or notice someone unzipping the purse and rooting around to find the wallet. So in my case the person would have to take the whole purse.

Is there any chance it fell out in your car, or out of the car into the parking lot when you opened the door there? Or could this have happened at home or somewhere else before you even got to the store?

When I'm running errands or shopping I always use a cross body purse which leaves both hands free, no need to ever place it in the cart. My favorite purse has slots for credit cards so that I do not have to carry a wallet. I can simply remove cash or whichever credit card that I need.

Pick pockets often work in pairs - one creates a diversion while the other steals the wallet. Even if think your purse is safe in the cart in front of you could easily be distracted and it only takes a moment for your wallet to be lifted.

I've been in the parking lot at the supermarket and seen women loading their grocery bags into the back of the car while their purse is sitting in the cart. Just think how easy it would be to walk past and take the purse while the women's back is turned.

I'm not paranoid, it's just common sense. It's just one of the habits I've picked up during my travels.

This post was edited by maire_cate on Mon, Mar 25, 13 at 9:00

My purse also has the built in wallet/organizer thing so I can't leave the wallet anywhere or have it stolen...and if they reach in to grab something, all they'll get is the zippered coin pouch which is separate. I also carry the purse across my body and never leave it in the cart. I see so many women who do and don't realize for how long that "just turned to reach the soup can" really is. My MIL left her gloves in the cart one time and someone stole them!

"My MIL left her gloves in the cart one time and someone stole them!"

Good grief! I don't carry my purse. I put a cc in my pocket.

Anele, I'm so sorry this happened to you.... these days we aren't at too much financial risk unless we have cash in the wallet, but the nightmare of getting everything canceled and re-issued, ugh!

I think the only solution is a hands free, cross-boy zipped purse....

so as a victim of a crime, even tho you aren't to 'blame' for it, you are frustrated and want to take some 'personal responsibility' so you can perhaps be more cautious next time so that maybe it won't happen again!! exactly!!!!!!!!!

i often don't even carry a purse because i find them burdensome and something else to have to keep track of. if i can carry what i need in pockets, i often will opt to do that... if i carry a purse, i try to keep it close to me and zipped...

I have a large wallet, and there have been times I just want to grab my ID and a couple dollars and go. So i found that i started to grab my coin purse and throw my stuff in there. I slowly transitioned my cash, ID and debit and the one credit card i carry into that coin purse, and kept all my non-essential stuff (store loyalty cards, pics, insurance card) in the wallet.

Yes, sometimes it's a pain, but I also figure that my essential items will be safer should someone ever try to get into my purse. They're going to spot that large wallet and grab it and bypass the small cosmetic case that holds my ID and money.

I also use the personal wallet-my bra! If I'm not carrying much, things go in there.

I too don't carry a purse..haven't for years. I have a small change purse with a velcro top fold over. I have my DL and health insurance card and debit card in it. That is all. I never carry cash. The little change purse goes in my velcro leg pocket down on my pants leg or if I am not wearing that style pants it goes in a zippered pocket somewhere on my person. My clothing has been chosen so that I always have either velcro or zipper to secure this little gem.

I am so sorry that you had this happen to you. I know my brother lost his wallet in NYC one day as he was walking along...he lives there...he was putting it in his pocket and missed !! He didn't realize it till later. Uggh..but he got really lucky. A bicyclist saw it on the pavement and called him and he got it back !! One more reason to love bicyclists :) c

Anele, I'm so sorry to hear that. What a pain. Like some of the other posters, I stopped carrying a wallet several years ago. I keep my cash in an inside zipper pocket and my credit cards in a metal card case. I don't carry checks any more. If I know I will need one for a doctor's office or something, I put one check in with my cash.

There are purses with zipper locks and steel cables through the straps. I have one that I use when I'm traveling. Vaultpro and Metrosafe are two brand names if you want to look at them online.

This is the style of purse I use:

wallet

The police officer said my purse was the perfect one for a pick-pocket.

KSL, I do know it was stolen. I do not use a credit card, so I only had my debit card + license (along w/health ins. cards, etc.) there. It took one hour. I suspect that they watched me walk in, so knew how long I would shop. I did take out my wallet at the returns desk at the first part of the trip, so I am sure I had it there.

My first thought was that I dropped it, but my wallet is like small purse. It would be hard to just slip out. Anyway, WHILE I was in the store (we can see the time of purchase on our bank site), the person bought (likely) two TVs (2 separate transactions) at the same store, and then went to another store and bought another TV.

I noticed my wallet missing in an hour, when I was going to pay. By that point, they had stopped using the card. I never use my cell, but I did that day during the trip. Had I not had a pack of baby wipes in there (that is all that was in there other than the wallet), I would have seen early on that the wallet was gone when I got out my phone.

maire, thanks for the "common sense" comment. Do you not think I am kicking myself? I grew up in a large city, so actually I normally do have common sense. It has been a very rough week for me, and this was the first time I was relaxed. Guess too relaxed. As I said, I never ever normally leave my purse.

Annie, what kind of purse do you have?

Snookums, if I did that, the cc would fall out. In fact, it has (at home).

bestyears, that is what I am thinking . . .needs to be zipped on top or with a flap, I think, and a long enough strap to go over my coat. I can't carry it under my coat because I usually have a baby strapped on me when I go out.

busy, normally I am very cautious. I look around all the time because I am on the lookout for sexual predators, esp. because of my kids. I can describe people that I saw during that trip to you, because I was looking. I go out to my car with my keys in my hand. I normally never put my purse in my cart. I check my car before I get in. So, yes, while I am taking responsibility, I also see that things happen once in awhile, when people make mistakes. People DO make mistakes, right?

Pesky and others w/o a purse-- where do you put your keys??? I always wanted to carry just my little purse, but there is not enough room for my keys. My coat has dumb "commuter" pockets, so they can easily fall out. And, with 5 kids (inc a baby), I usually need at least one diaper in my purse.

Trail, that is essentially all I had in my wallet, too. I am most worried about my license. I am working on getting the fraud protection from the credit agencies. How nice about your bro!

Fun, thank you! I will look into those. :)

In my mid 20's I was in a grocery store with my purse, unzipped in the grocery cart, and I had turned for just a few seconds to get something off the shelf and had a funny feeling when a women walked by. I caught her out the corner of my eye, going really slow by my cart, although I didn't see her take anything out of my purse. I didn't think about it too much until a couple of minutes later and looked in my purse and my wallet was gone. I left my cart and ran to look for her. She was in an aisle headed out and she had my wallet in her hand. I grabbed it from her and she ran out the door. I told the manager. I was shocked as nothing like that had ever happened to me. Needless to say, I learned my lesson and always zip my purse, and never leave it in cart.

I have taken a CC only in, but, somehow I forget it in my pocket and it gets washed, etc. It has fallen out before also. So, I don't trust that.

I bought a small wallet with a handle to take in-but my keys didn't fit in it, so that didn't last long, because it defeated my purpose of having something small that my keys would fit in.

I have a small "Eva" Louis Vuitton bag that has been the best thing so far! I carry it all the time. But, literally, my wallet (small) keys and phone are all that fit in there, which is fine most of the time.

This post was edited by olliesmom on Mon, Mar 25, 13 at 12:00

I have that purse and I don't know why a police officer would say it is perfect for a pick pocket. The zipper faces forward and is tucked under your arm as you carry it.

Anele -- what a sucky situation (pls excuse my lingo!). Beyond the victimization, the hassle of canceling cards, putting alerts on them, etc.

I'm confused by the comment by the officer-- is it because the pouch part hangs in back of you that makes it a target? But the zipper(s) were closed, no? That's a lot of effort for the thief. Then I'd assume all backpacks are easy targets?

One alternative comes to mind -- a small messenger bag? The go cross-body, if you want them to, and you can have them hit at the hip, so any monkey business would be "felt" by you. Usually there's a flap that goes over the whole thing and clicks shut at either one or two points. When the flap is open, some types -- but not all, so if you're on eBags.com or a similar site, check the photos -- have a zipper closure. Big enough for a diaper. There are small-sized messenger bags, too, that do not look too not cumbersome.

(One more question: Were you in the store with a child [or more than one]? If so, I wonder if the thief noticed this, assumed you were a frazzled mom and decided right there that you were his/her victim. Not casting any blame -- I'm just trying to get in the mind of the perpetrator: if this was fully planned or whether some jerk in the store just happened upon you when you were distracted.)

Anele - I carry a purse also. I'd be lost without one, although there have been certain events where we've locked mine in the trunk. NOT with anything of importance in the wallet though.

I'm having the same thoughts as Pammy that the officer made the comment because the bag is kind of a bag-pack type. I've always thought backpacks would be easy to steal something out of, but not especially that purse???

I carry a small purse. When traveling, I will use one of the crossover bags but I'm not a fan of shoulder bags. If I have a bag in a grocery cart, I keep my hand on the bag. I am like you and notice things around me - I never leave my bag in the cart while unloading groceries, etc. I notice people around me. I took a self-defense class years ago and all that has remained in my mind.

Don't beat yourself up. You didn't do anything wrong. You are the VICTIM. And you are right about mistakes. People DO make them. I am sure I do each and every day! LOL None among us here is perfect.

tina

I have a dummy wallet, with library cards, pictures, change and some of those store value savings card. My real wallet looks like a wristlet, like the one you posted above. I usually shop with the wallet around my wrist, with my keys attached to it. Actually, my entire purse consists of little zipper pouches, one with make up, one with tampons, one with coupons, one has my ipod and ear buds for the gym. If someone took one, they wouldn't get much. The only time my wallet goes into my purse is when I put it in one of those crossbody bags, the opening is always facing me. I've always been paranoid. I don't trust anyone when I'm out and about.

I had that happen in another country once - due to total negligence on my part. Just walking a few feet from a shop outside the hotel to the hotel - with the purse unzipped and me not paying attention. It leaves you with a very sick feeling when you realize your wallet is gone.

Now I never leave my purse unzipped and I keep it clamped under my arm. I never leave my purse in a grocery cart - have heard of lots of people getting their wallet picked off that way. Even if you're never away from it you do look away to pick something off a shelf, etc. and that's all it takes.

I carry a purse and a wallet. Occasionally I will go in with just a credit card and my phone and my keys but I don't feel good about leaving my purse and wallet in my SUV which has no trunk.

Anele - please accept my apologies. Now that I've re-read my reply I see why you commented. It did sound harsh. I am sorry. Truly. I've been in the same situation. Mine happened in a small business office with only a handful of co-workers and it was my careless mistake. You just don't expect something like that to happen among people you know.

Since my experience I think I've become almost too cautious....hence the 'paranoid' comment. Having family involved in law enforcement and hearing their comments has made me even more wary. I tried to find a link to the purse I carry with the credit card slots but I can only find one at Levenger and it's pricey. Mine is a Bernini sold at Macys for around $100.

Here is a link that might be useful: organizer

I use a purse and a wallet but my wallet also has a wrist strap on it. It's much bigger than Anele's - a rectangle shape slightly larger than a checkbook. It has slots for credit cards, etc, plus several areas to keep money, receipts, etc. It's large enough to even fit my cellphone as well as my bulky keys. I don't always bring my purse with me places unless I'm going to need access to other things, like tampons, tissues, carry things for my kids, etc. If I'm just running to the store, I often just take my wallet and keep it attached to my wrist but hold it gripped in my hand, rather than dangling.

When I do carry my purse, it would be hard for a thief to get my wallet as it's often buried under my sunglasses, checkbook, my planner, etc. I do have zippered compartments too for things like my tampons, etc but my wallet usually isn't inside one of those.

Anele, so sorry this happened to you. My friend left her purse on the floor of her car recently and ran into a rec center for 10 minutes to pick her dd up. In that brief time, someone broke the window of her car and stole the purse from the floor. He got two purses that day - someone else had left her purse in the car there that day too. Apparently, there are bands of thieves on the East Coast that regularly troll parking lots at places like gyms, sports fields, etc where people often leave valuables in the car b/c they don't want to or can't carry along with them.

I bet those thugs are well versed on all the various purses out there, knowing them inside and out. They'd just grab the whole darn thing.

Something that I did when I was traveling a couple of years ago was to sew a metal ring inside my purse, then I attached a clip onto my wallet, which I then clipped onto the ring. The wallet could not be easily lifted from my purse that way.

Anele, So sorry this happened to you. I have lost mine in the past and have been fortunate enough to have an honest person find and return it to me, but in the mean time went through a lot of fear and trouble canceling cards.

This is a timely post for me as I am prone to carry everything I might ever need in my purse and too many credit cards and debit card. I have had problems with cervical vertebrae, so need to go lighter for health reasons, also. I haven't figured it out yet, but have a purse I use when I travel that really works well and might be worth looking at for you. If you go to the Baggallini web-site and go to crossover style, it is called "large wallet bag". It has a pocket on front for cell phone and another on front that should work for your keys and many zippered pockets inside and built in credit card slots, plus room for a disposable diaper. It is light-weight with a fairly long strap that should go over most coats and can be cross-body. I see them (not necessarily this style) quite often at TJMaxx.

Will be following this post for additional purse recommendations. Hope it all works out for you. Are you responsible for the debit charges?

I will post more later-- thank you so much for the continued replies. They are very helpful.

I am OK, though. Don't feel bad for me. I don't. I feel bad for the problems I have caused for society-- this is now everyone's burden. My bank is taking care of the $ completely, so the only thing I am out is my time in taking care of this, as well as being vigilant about protecting my ID (since they have my license) and never letting this happen again.

I am most concerned that my daughter was with me. This means that I put her in danger. I normally do not go out late at night, and I would never normally bring her then either on the rare occasions I go. But, she has been upset lately that we do not get much time alone together, so against my better judgment I said yes. I was getting a hard-to-find item for my niece. Could have waited until the a.m. I will not forgive myself for doing what I felt was wrong, and doing it anyway.

My bag kept falling off my shoulder, and since the store was not crowded, that is when I put it in my cart. Then I said to myself, "What the heck am I doing with it here?" and put it back on. I admit-- I never thought of pick-pocketing. I thought my whole purse would be gone. Very smart to only take the wallet!

Vera Bradley has several small wallets or coin type purses that have a key ring built into them. When my kids were young this is what I used. I could easily tuck it into a front jeans pocket and have my hands free.

Here is a link that might be useful: coin purse

I don't carry a purse. I just have a phone with credit card slots which fits my ID, a ATM card and a credit card. All the other cards are accessible by entering phone number etc. I have photos of all the insurance card etc. Things like costco card stay in the car to used as needed. This has worked well for me for the past several years. I also usually wear pants with pockets. When I used to carry purses, I have lost them and found them. Often due to my negligence. The straps always irritate me and I would forget the purse at starbucks etc. The credit card wallet works much better for me :)

I carry a large shoulder bag Coach and put it in the seat of the cart and then lock it in with the seat belt through the straps. I then go and take an item and put it on top of the bag so it's never visible and surround it with items I'm purchasing. When I get to the car I unlock it with my remote and immediately put my purse in the car between the two front seats. Sorry this happened to you and don't feel like you made the wrong decision, you had every right to go to a store with your daughter. It's the crook who made the wrong decision, not you.

I don't know what kind of bag I carry....something I pick up for cheap on sale at Macy's or Kohls or somewhere. (I don't pay much attention to my bag and I rarely swap it out for my outfit unless I'm getting really fancy.) But it has an outside zippered pouch on the outside which opens up like an accordion folder and inside are slots for cr cds, DL, cash, etc. That becomes my wallet so I can't leave the wallet separately anywhere. Mine is leather though, not like this one....

Anele -- fyi: the bag that Annie posted a picture above -- the orangy-red one, that's a Baggalini style. I think that one is not too big, about the size of a hardback book. The pouch in the front that has a double zipper opens up for credit cards, pen. It is made of a lightweight fabric. I meant to mention that brand, too, but forgot -- glad Lizbeth did (and also for her mention that I've seen the company's bags pop up in Marshalls/TJMaxx frequently). I also have seen it at my local AAA office -- some have a section of travel accessories for sale.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! How terrible.
I will remember this when I'm out although I hope I am vigilant about my purse. In a grocery store, I won't move away from the cart even slightly unless I am the only one on the aisle or there is no one else within 20 feet.
I do carry a purse, love handbags, but prefer ones with a zippered top or snap.Nothing too open and floppy and never a backpack. I have too much stuff for a crossbody and either way, I don't like the way it feels across my chest- too busty for them, I think.

I'd be lost without my purse. However, I always make sure that I have a bag with a zippered closure. I started doing that when i worked in the city. I don't have a wallet. I keep my bills and coins in a zippered compartment in my purse. I also have a card carrier for all the plastic.

I often see women at the grocery store who pull out those all-in-one wallets. It's usually three inches thick and has their checkbook, money, credit cards and heaven knows what else in it. To me, it looks like they are making it easy for a thief to grab one thing and be sure to get all the valuables at once.

I am guilty of putting my purse in the baby seat. I've done it all my life, however, I do put my hand through the strap and then grab the handle of the cart. I am pretty conscientious about hanging on to it at all times.

One time my credit cards were stolen from my bag in my office. Someone really had nerve to do that, as my office was at the end of a "dead end" aisle, so there was only one way in and out. Big nuisance getting them replaced.