Yikes! I remember the good old days when people just read the obits to find apartments and houses before they got listed on the open market.

I'll never understand leaving a purse unattended.

I remember hearing about a similar situation 40 years ago...so not a new scam, but worth a reminder for sure.

I wear a crossbody bag and *never* leave a purse in the cart though I've seen plenty of women do it.

My friend’s wallet was stolen from her purse in the shopping cart, the purse was completely unzipped and wide open, wallet right on top.

But the additional ”mall security”, that’s a new addition to me. I’m not surprised.

I see unattended purses and other items in carts all the time. It’s beyond me why women do that!

It's about where you live and what you know about your community. Until it hits home people choose to live w/o fear.

The above story is an old, old urban myth that has been doing the rounds for years. My brother told me it at least 10 years ago. There are many variations with different types of shops, even named stores, and sometimes it's a changing room or toilet rather than a grocery cart. Its always something that happened to someone else and was told by a third party. And anyway, a moment's thought reveals a massive flaw. Just because the handbag owner had gone out how would a thief be sure the house was empty?

Obviously watch your possessions carefully and be alert for scams, but don't fall for these stories.

I agree. It’s good advice to keep your belongings so they are not stolen, but this story has lots of holes, like how would they know she would immediately leave the house and how would they know no one else was home, etc?

I put my purse inside the cart, along with my groceries. Someone would have to reach all the way in and shuffle my groceries to get at it.

But….for years, I kept my purse in the seat portion.

It is always a good reminder to be aware of your surroundings and possessions.

I saw a suggestion not long ago, maybe here?, to hook the seatbelt in the cart through the handle on your purse, which I thought was smart.

Similar: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/restroom-purse-theft-warning/

However we are of course grateful to Jas for caring enough to post the warning and of course it is true and a basic safety warning to always be aware of your surroundings.

”…but this story has lots of holes…”

It does raise some questions.

Along with leaving a purse unattended, I‘ve seen people do some pretty stupid things involving shopping carts. Total lack of responsibility or consideration.

The below is from an article (snopes) about this exact article/scam that was written in 2019.

“This "scam" seemingly hearkens back to the days of landlines, when one could often tie information gleaned from a driver's license (i.e., full name and address) to a phone number through the use of a phone directory or directory assistance. But no similar mechanism exists for now-ubiquitous cellphones. (Possibly one could use the internet to quickly match up a name and address with a phone number, but the odds aren't good.)

Moreover, this scheme relies on the out-of-date notion that if a woman is away from home in the middle of the day, her residence will then necessarily be unoccupied (because, of course, the man of the house will be out working somewhere, and the kids will be in school). But a variety of different domestic scenarios are common these days that would place other people at home in the middle of the day: a woman might be living with roommates or parents or adult children; some 40 per cent of Americans work mostly during nonstandard times and are therefore home during the daytime; working at home is becoming increasingly common, etc.”

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/purse-in-the-grocery-cart-scam/

I put my purse in the child seat of the cart and then put the child-restraint clip-belt through the handles.

same

I learned my lessons the hard way - but not too hard, thankfully.

I had a bad scare several years ago when I thought someone had lifted my wallet out of my purse while I was shopping at Walmart . I'd literally only stepped away from my cart for a moment, but it could've been enough time for someone to step up and grab it - this was way in the back of the store in a sort of secluded area.

I found my wallet in my car where it had fallen under the seat, but that was enough to teach me a lesson. The only thing I place in the front of my shopping cart now are my grocery bags.

I also wear a crossbody or belt bag nowadays - or just put my card and phone in my pockets - and obsessively check to make sure I didn't drop anything 😄

And many years ago, I stopped on my way home - at night - to pick up a few things, and accidentally left my black wallet in the front of the cart in the dark parking lot and drove home - it was way across town, too. I got my wallet back, thanks to a good Samaritan who found it in the alley behind their house the next day - they didn't take much out of it either, thank goodness! I had a bunch of gift cards and they were untouched. I'd immediately reported it and applied for replacement cards, so nothing lost in that regard either.

Mistakes are how we (hopefully) learn 😏

I don't carry a purse very often anymore. I use pockets in my pants, vests, hoodies, jackets...

Thanks for the reminder, Jazz! I no longer carry my handbag into a store but use a small cross body for a credit card, DL, phone, and keys.

This got me wondering how many even carry handbags anymore. I’m not sure if my 17 year old even owns one. I found this:

Makers of pricey handbags are at risk of losing a generation of customers as millennials and Gen-Zers ditch purses, clutches and pocketbooks in favor of backpacks and even fanny packs – and that’s if they carry a bag at all, according to a study.

Just 39% of women aged 18 to 35 said they carry a handbag for activities other than work or school, according to a survey from Circana, which tracks online and in-store retail receipts for some 150,000 consumers.

That’s compared with 60% of women aged 35 and older who say they always carry a handbag.

Handbag sales at risk as young women turn to backpacks, fanny packs

She does have a small backpack, but it’d be rare for her to carry that on a simple shopping trip.

Not a shopping cart, but …do not hang your purse on the back of your chair at a restaurant, My friend’s wallet was taken from her open purse.

Like Annie D, I wear a cross-body bag, and when traveling, I use one that has steel reinforced straps and locking zippers.

Had a wallet tucked into pram with my baby when an innocent looking older woman bent down to admire him. She was quick, didn’t even notice until my three year old stammered that she took my wallet. She was quicker leaving and better at hiding.

I never carry a purse. Either a cross bag or a fanny pouch

Pocketbook, handbag, purse, I don’t think there are universally agreed upon definitions and differentiations in the American English language. Cross body bag is just a subset of handbag.

I think the differentiation is "carry".

I was just going to add that the cross body or fanny pack would be less likely to be taken off and put in the cart.

Exactly.

And what's to stop somebody from grabbing a wallet out of a purse or bag whether it's strapped to the cart or not?

I stopped carrying a purse during Covid and changed to a credit card in a pocket only. I would have my purse but in the car, securely locked and out of sight. Black handbag and a black car interior - pretty much invisible.

Before that, I have to admit to being a little careless about stepping away from my shopping cart. More than once I had an older man scold me in the grocery store! No harm was ever done though. I really dislike a cross body, I don't want to wear my handbag over my head.

I would not be that careless now. And I find I am not as confident now as I once was where I used to drive to the city typically alone, park, shop, carry packages back to my car....just assuming if I walked with an air of confidence and sense of purpose no one was going to bother me. I don't feel that way now. I am a little older, weigh a little less and feel like I may be beginning to appear a little more frail? I don't feel frail, but may have that appearance and I'm not nearly as comfortable in those underground parking lots, coming and going from my errands. Retired now, DH often goes with me and I appreciate that. At the same time, I'm more efficient on my own and he's not always interested in the same things that interest me. He's more concerned about watching the time to not be caught in a heavy afternoon commute, leaving those last one or two things I would liked to have done 'undone' 😂

In my early 20's I had my purse in the grocery cart seat and I turned my back looking at some canned goods and saw from the corner of my eye a lady standing by my cart for just "a little too long" and when I went back my wallet was gone. I actually looked for her and chased her through the store and and even though I wasn't "for sure" she took it-I caught up with her and stopped her told her I wanted my wallet back and then I saw it in her purse and I grabbed it and she ran out the door.

So, NEVER leave your purse in your cart and walk away, like dumb trusting me did, back in the day.

I see people leave their personal bags in a cart and turn their back or wander down an aisle. It happens a lot at the entrance when people will put down their bag in a cart, turning their back at some point for the hand wipe action. Often they leave the bag in the kid seat area and unload from the front of the cart, leaving their bag out of reach of them and easy to snatch out of by the person behind them. I also have seen people walk away when there is a little toddler in the cart too like the kid will keep the bag safe. I get it some folks carry personal bags that are big/heavy enough that they don't want to carry it if they don't have to. But I don't get it when they leave personal stuff out when other humans are around.

OllieJane, what a brave young woman you were! Of course, today there might have been a much different outcome. But I am impressed by your gumption.

I don't often carry a bag of any sort. It's typically locked in the trunk. At the grocery store it's 50/50 I'll carry it. If I do, it's in the bottom portion blocked by the seat. I did used to use the top portion with the belt threaded. But these days, I only carry it as an accessory, when I am not on a mission. That is, not when running errands. Unless I use it as the bag for my purchases. Typically, big enough for a laptop kind of bag.

Local police warned us years ago not to leave any valuables out and in plain sight in your car - even if it's locked. There had been a spate of smash & grabs at our park - mostly women who would leave a purse in their car as they went for a walk around the park, so police were warning everyone about that.

Since then I put my bag out of sight, under the seat whenever I need to leave it in the car.

And I'm reminded of the many posts on our local nextdoor.com from people complaining that someone 'broke into' their unlocked car overnight and stole an iPad, money, etc. - and they get really huffy when commenters point out the obvious 🙄

Some people aren’t used to having to lock things up. I only started locking my house regularly, a few months ago and it's still an adjistment to remember. Unfortunately the trash moves closer.

We get the car thing around here, especially in the spring when the tourists and out of town visitors start showing. Police start putting out the warnings of don't leave your car windows open or car unlocked. Reports of thefts out of open/unlocked cars go up.

I get the cultural differences, but our area is densely populated and has been for generations now, along with being a tourist destination. The more people, the more transience, the more chance of crime happening.

When you park in a public place and then put your purse in the trunk, be aware of two things.... 1) the bad guys are watching you in the parking lot, and 2) someone can easily break into the car and pop the trunk from the car. Same goes for those of you who think you're smart and hiding your bag under the seat... the crooks know what you are doing.

I think around here the thieves stay in place, they live here. They don't travel to get here to steal, people travel here to get stolen from in their point of view. I think the tourists and visitors feel comfortable, like they are safe from that sort of thing because they are on vaca. It makes them easy prey. Every year it's the same stretches and areas that the reports and warnings come from, it dies down again as fall sets in. Probably some of the folks that steal out of the cars during the warm weather are the same ones swiping things out of unattended personal bags in stores. And other public places.

FWIW, I think it's harder to tell what someone's doing while they're sitting inside their car compared to getting out, walking back to the trunk and placing your bag in there.

Food, when we first moved to our suburban NY house, we left the car doors unlocked. Both cars were rummaged through! We never had an incident when living on the city! Although we did lock up there.

We live in an upscale town. Thieves are workers not residents.

My trunk can't be popped from inside unless you have the fob. I've been shopping for a new car and have rejected many models that are no longer being made available in a sedan. They are 4 door coupes now that give access to the trunk from the inside of the car. I want a secure trunk, so no SUVs either for me.

Oly, but does the thief know that? Easier to just break in and then find out.

As for watching you while you are in the car before you get out? The crooks watch people ALL the time. they'll break in just to see. You can chance hiding your bag if you want.

FWIW, many car thefts and thefts from cars are crimes of opportunity. Around here, people walking or biking around neighborhoods just try door handles to see if a car's locked or not, and then go on from there. They're not always alone either.

A work acquaintance had her unlocked car with the keys left inside stolen from her suburban driveway, taken for a joyride and totally trashed. She swore she just ran inside the house for a moment.

It goes into the trunk before I leave the house. So, unless they're following me from the house.... I don't think that's an issue. Touch wood, but I have never had my purse robbed in any way. I must be getting something right, or I'm a really lucky person?

Perhaps a bit of both 🙂

Yay! That's a good combo.

All I'm saying to everyone, is don't assume that you have outwitted the bad guys. They are pros and know all the tricks that you've never thought of. Better to be constantly alert.

And I'm reminded of the many posts on our local nextdoor.com from people complaining that someone 'broke into' their unlocked car overnight and stole an iPad, money, etc. - and they get really huffy when commenters point out the obvious

Same here. It always amazes me. Can't imagine not locking my house or car.