The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is here. This is thieves’ favorite season because with all of the people and distractions of the holiday shopping blitz, they can easily pickpocket, steal from cars, steal from your purse and steal from your packages. Here’s how to stay safe this holiday shopping season!
Risk Factors for Theft
There are some specific risk factors that make you more of a target for theft during this time of year. These include:
- Distractions
- Late nights/extended store hours
- Crowds
- Unattended cars with visible purchases
- Police diverted away from typical patrols to deal with more emergencies such as traffic incidents, family disputes and house fires that are all more common during the holiday season
Avoid Becoming a Victim of Theft
There are ways you can avoid becoming a victim of theft. Here are a few ways to stay safer while shopping during this holiday season.
- Try to shop during daylight hours. If you must shop at night, don’t go alone.
- Don’t wear expensive clothes or jewelry.
- Consider a security travel bag for your cash and cards instead of a purse or wallet.
- Only carry the credit cards and cash you intend to use.
- Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
- Pay for purchases with a credit card whenever possible.
- Recognize when you are rushing, distracted or stressed out and take a moment to calm down and be more alert of your surroundings.
- Be wary of strangers approaching you for any reason.
- Remember that thieves often work in teams of two or more so while one is distracting you, another could be lifting items from your bags, purse or wallet.
- Avoid overloading yourself with packages in a way that obstructs vision around you or makes it difficult for you to move quickly and easily if needed.
- Keep packages out of sight in the trunk of your car to avoid a break-in.
Stay safe while shopping this holiday season with these shopping safety tips. Thieves are on the prowl during the holiday season. Stay alert and stay smart to avoid becoming a victim of theft.
