KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Knoxville police tell us retailers aren't the only ones prepared to take your money this holiday season.

Purse snatchings usually increase around this time of year.

So, a financial crimes investigator went shopping with Volunteer TV Monday to show us what you need to watch for.

"There are actually folks that will sit in the parking lot and wait for somebody to victimize because it's easy pickings," Knoxville Investigator Keli Randolph said.

"The way she's carrying that," Randolph said, pointing to a woman with a purse slung around her body, "not real good because somebody can just come up behind her and, you know. But it's better than just on your shoulder."

Randolph walked us through the West Knoxville Target store, pointing out what not to do.

"Never put your purse in your buggy. I would just say absolutely never. There's never a reason to do that," Investigator Randolph told WVLT.

But a lot of us do that anyway-- like shopper Jess Spurling, who admits she knows better.

"I usually have it right up under my arm. But you did. You caught me off guard," Spurling laughed.

Investigator Randolph says being off guard and distracted makes you an easy victim.

What about those women who wear their purse on their shoulders, like shopper Emily Schimke?

"I usually do. Yeah. That way it's with me at all times. And I always know where it is," Schimke told Volunteer TV.

That's smart. Right?

"Usually, if they're going to try to take the purse off you, they're going to come from behind and come from behind and jerk," Randolph explained. "There's not going to be anything you can do to keep them from doing that."

Nothing you can do, but get a longer strap and wear it across the body.

"That's going to be the best," Investigator Randolph said, demonstrating, "because if I grab ahold of it. I've got to take you with me. And I'm not going to do that because you may fight."

We only found one woman wearing her purse right. Donna Haley says she often thinks about her safety.

"I do. I think you have to right now. It's sad, but we do," Haley said.

Randolph's top tips:

-You never need to carry your birth certificate or social security number
-Avoid carrying a purse-- try to only bring some cash, a debit or credit card and your ID and keep them in your front pocket
-If you do bring a purse, don't put it in your shopping cart
-Never leave your purse open or unzipped
-Try to buy a purse with a long strap to wear across the body
-Minimize distractions, like talking on the phone
-When loading items into your car, put your purse in the car or trunk
-If you will be leaving your purse in your car, put it in your trunk before you get to your destination

If your purse or wallet is stolen:

-You should have contact information for your credit card companies and your bank written down and ready to go
-Call your bank, credit card companies, social security office (if social security card is stolen) and report what happened
-File a police report
-You may need to file fraud affidavit
-If anything with your name and date of birth was stolen, call the credit bureaus and ask to be flagged for fraud alerts