The Roanoke Times | File 2008

Customers shop at Bath & Body Works at the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg.

Before you head out to begin your holiday shopping, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind to help protect yourself against the theft of both your purchases and your identity.

"This time of year, people need to be extra careful about these things," said Maj. Dalton Reid of the Christiansburg Police Department.

The department's Safe Shopper initiative, through which bicycle patrols are increased around the town's shopping malls, will begin Friday.

But there are some things shoppers can do for themselves to help prevent them from becoming victims, Reid said.

He shared several tips for people to keep in mind as they kick off the shopping season:

1. Make sure your identification is secured, whether in a purse or a wallet. Don't carry it in your hand or keep it loose in your pocket.

2. Don't leave your identification where it is accessible to other people. Reid says it's not unusual for the police department to see cases in which a person's ID is stolen by a friend or family member.

3. Don't be offended when store clerks ask for your identification when you make a purchase. "That's a protection for yourself," Reid said.

4. If you suspect that your debit card or credit card has been stolen, immediately contact police and the bank or credit card company that issued the card. When a thief takes a debit or credit card, Reid said, "they'll try to use it as much as they can in three or four hours and then get rid of it." If police are notified right away that the card is missing, they may be able to catch the thief in the act.

5. Keep your purse on your shoulder at all times. Don't leave it in your shopping cart or in your seat when you get up at restaurants.

6. Don't leave shopping bags and packages in your vehicle where people can see them. "This is the time of year when we see so called smash-and-grabs," when thieves will smash a vehicle window, grab what they can, and leave, Reid said. Either take your purchases home before you go to the next store or secure them in your trunk.

7. If you must leave your purse in your vehicle, secure it in the trunk where it's out of sight. Hiding it under a jacket or other item isn't sufficient, Reid said, because thieves know that is a common practice.

8. Unless you have initiated contact with a reputable business, don't give your personal information, such as bank account numbers, over the phone. "This time of year is great for scams because everyone is looking for that extra little bit of money," Reid said.