WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Police Service is reminding citizens to be careful with how they throw holiday litter to the curb. Police say criminals have been known to target homes after figuring out what gifts a household received based on what boxes might have been left outside.

The WPS is warning Winnipeggers to avoid leaving boxes from big purchases by your garbage pickup area for any length of time. They recommend taking boxes from large, expensive items directly to a recycling depot, shredding any receipts they don’t need to keep, and cutting or tearing apart boxes that have to be placed in the bin.

If you do end up getting gifts like a new game console, TV, jewelry, police say you should also make a detailed list or take inventory photos, and write down serial numbers once giving is wrapped for the year, in case there’s a burglary or an insurance claim needs to be made some day.

Crime experts also suggest households gather their mail quickly and reconsider posting photos of expensive bounty on social media.