Here are some tips to stay safe when shopping during the holidays

As residents gear up for the holiday season, Chestermere RCMP is warning about thieves who try to make it a Grinch Christmas.

"From vehicle break-ins to identity theft, shoppers risk losing more than their gifts if they don't take precautions," wrote the city in a news release.

Police provided a few safety tips for residents to implement:

• Lock vehicles and close the windows, even if you're running into a store for a few minutes.
• Store gifts in the trunks of vehicles as thieves target ones that are easy to find.
• Park in high-traffic areas with lights.
• Keep purses zipped up or use a crossbody bag to make it harder for thieves to snatch.
• Used credit cards instead of cash or debit to help with fraud prevention.
• Don't leave bags in shopping carts.
• Cover the keypad when entering pins at checkouts.
• Check out bank accounts to look for unauthorized transactions.
• Shred receipts with personal or credit card information before getting rid of them.
• Avoid using phones when walking.
• Gets keys ready before heading to vehicles to avoid dropping bags.