As you get into the holiday spirit, know that thieves are banking on doing the same.  Be careful not to lure would-be-thieves to your car with presents, packages or other valuables in plain view. It can be an easy grab that ends up escalating to more than stolen gifts. Follow these tips this holiday season to protect yourself, your belongings, and your car:

• Stay alert
• Walk confidently with your head up and surveying the scene around you
• Park in well-lit places and in close range of a surveillance camera if possible
• If something doesn't feel right, trust your gut
• Vary your routine so your route and habits are less predictable
• Always lock your car, take your keys
• Don't leave items visible in your car - put presents/bags in your trunk or otherwise out of site

Steve Wheeler, Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority Executive Director, explains in this expose by Fox 43 News why auto theft is a persistent problem and how its ripple effects are impacting us all. Watch the surveillance video from an apartment garage to stolen cars loaded into cargo containers in a shipping port.