Safe Shopping
It is definitely the time of year when even certified ‘Hate To Shop-phobics’ find themselves heading to the mall, super store or to an online merchant to find the perfect gift for everyone on their list. Also heading to all of those locations are those who find their Christmas cheer by stealing yours (along with your wallet, money, ID, purchases & possibly your physical well being)! Thieves, pickpockets, scam artists and other unsavory sorts prey on all of those harried, distracted and thoughtful shoppers. Before you head out to shop, remember these tips gathered from multiple safety sites:
‘Brick and Mortar Stores’
1. Leave the purse at home or locked in the car. No matter how cute it is, a purse increases your chances of meeting one of those stealing, purse-snatching grinches. Should you meet one, relinquish your purse. There is NOTHING in there worth dying for. Report incident to the police and immediately cancel all credit cards that were stolen. Replace your driver’s license and be extra cautious at home.
2. Keep your valuables in your pockets—preferably the front pockets of your pants. Spread your cash (a moderate amount), one credit card and your ID into multiple pockets.
3. Have a cell phone handy at all times.
4. Shop during daylight hours. If you must shop at night, always shop with a companion (and small children don’t count as companions). At night, park only in lots that have adequate lighting.
5. Never hesitate to ask for a Public Safety escort to your car. All shopping centers, reputable stores and malls have them available.
6. Do not allow yourself to become over burdened with packages which limit your ability to see, move or be aware of your surroundings.
7. Always lock your car – when you are in it and out of it.
8. Have your keys ready before you leave the store.
9. Make certain no one is hiding in your car before you enter. The best way to do this is to approach it from the back as though you are going to walk past your car to another one. Look in each window as you pass. Only place your key in the door when you are certain the car is empty.
10. Stay alert to your surroundings. If you feel uncomfortable, seek out assistance immediately! Be aware that con artists use a multitude of tactics to distract you so that you can be more easily robbed. Some thieves work in pairs, with one distracting you and the other robbing you.
11. Wherever possible, shop at stores that allow you to run your credit card through the reader yourself. If you must hand over your credit card, watch as it is processed. There are few merchants that still use carbon copies, but if a small business does, take the carbons with you.
12. Do not keep packages in plain view in your car. Lock in the trunk.
13. Use ATMs in secure locations. Do not count cash in open view. If anyone is lurking near the ATM, either on foot or in a car, move onto to another one. Better yet, prepare now – get the cash you will need and store it at home in a safe location.
14. Make sure that you have a record of all credit cards, their numbers and the phone number to call if one is lost. Keep this at home in your ‘What If’ notebook.
15. Dress casually and comfortably. Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
16. If at all possible, shop without small children during the busiest shopping times. If you must bring a small child with you, be aware that they are a built-in distraction as well as a safety hazard. Keep your child with you AT ALL times. Remember to strap them into the stroller or shopping cart. Put identifying information into one of their pockets (refer to the CHAD posting) just in case they become separated from you. Be certain to teach your child to look for a store employee or a ‘Grandma’ if they get lost. Many young children simply hide if lost and don’t know who to go to for help.
Online Merchants:
1. Only purchase from sites that display https in the web address, have the closed lock or unbroken key to signify a secure website. If the lock is displayed as open or the key broken, the site is compromised.
2. Do not respond to emails from PayPal, your bank, your credit card company, mortgage company, eBay, Amazon or any other merchant that asks you to click on a portion of the email (a hyperlink) to reinstate your account, up date your information or asks for your log in information. If you think the email may be legitimate, close the email, log out of the email program and then go to the web address that you have used previously for that merchant. DO NOT USE THE WEB ADDRESS given in the email. Look for the link to the company’s fraud department and report the email you have received. Many companies can also accept forwarded emails to, for instance, ‘spoof@paypal.com’ or ‘spoof@ebay.com’. The company will then research the email.
3. Only provide credit card or bank information through a secured website. Do not include the information in an email.
4. Be very aware that the incidence of fraud, abuse, etc. increases greatly during the holidays. Ebay has its highest rate of seller fraud during the holidays. Only purchase items from sellers with a good track rating and preferably ones that will accept credit cards through PayPal. You are much safer using an established merchant such as Amazon (though not necessarily a private seller that advertises through Amazon) or the online version of brick and mortar stores (such as target.com or toysrus.com) than purchasing items through an auction.
5. Be certain that you are aware of return policies before purchasing. Brick and mortar stores will often accept returns from their internet counterparts.
6. Immediately report any suspected case of fraud to the company and to your local police department.
No matter where you shop, shop smartly. Keep track of your purchases and be certain to carefully check your credit card and bank statements.
Happy shopping!!
