Tips To Avoid Fraud After The Holidays

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(INDIANAPOLIS) - After you’ve ripped off the gift wrap, don’t let your gift get ripped off.

Shirley Purvitis is the crime prevention and crime-watch coordinator for the Indianapolis Police Department.

She says it's always a good idea to keep a list of the serial numbers from your computers, electronics and major appliances. But you also need to think about security when throwing away the boxes your expensive gifts came in.

Purvitis says don't set those boxes out. Instead, cut them up into smaller sections and take them to a recycling center. Or see if you can use the trash dumpster at work.

She suggests destroying personal information like your name, address and phone number that may appear on a box you're throwing away.

Gift cards are becoming popular gifts. But since most aren't protected by a pin number, Purvitis says to hang on to the receipts or serial numbers from those gifts to prevent fraud.

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