How to Stay Safe when Holiday Shopping

Though the holiday shopping season glitters with half off sales and special promotions, there is a downside to the mad rush at the local mall. With a surge in shoppers and increased congestion in most every strip mall, the holiday season can be a criminal's paradise. By simply taking heed of a few basic tips and practicing precautionary behavior, you can eliminate your chances of becoming a victim.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide whether or not you wish to shop online or at your local mall, department store or shopping center. There are precautions to take when shopping via the Internet for holiday presents that differ from shopping in person.

2. Find out if management offers a safety programyou if you decide to visit your local mall. For example, many shopping centers provide parking lot escort services. Often free of charge, these assistance programs are designed with shopper safety in mind. Imagine walking into a darkened parking lot by yourself with an armful of bags. You'd feel a whole lot safer with a uniformed employee escorting you straight to your car.

3. Valet your vehicle. Many large malls offer valet car services free of charge. Just remember to tip the driver and even if there is a small fee to valet, it's a much safer way to holiday shop.

4. Bring someone with you. If you must shop for the holidays at nighttime, at least bring a friend or family member with you. Thieves often target individuals who are by themselves or who don't appear as if they'd "fight back" if approached.

5. Carry pepper spray. It doesn't hurt to have some on hand. Many brands make discreet sprays you can attach to a key chain or in your purse.

6. Try to condense your bags. Ask a retail associate for a giant bag and place all of your bags into one. This keeps you from looking like a walking ATM.

7. Pay attention to those around you. Notice someone following you or a suspicious looking individual? Feel free to alert a department store employee, manager, or even mall security.

8. Carry some cash for your purchases, but keep it limited. If someone steals your credit card, you can always cancel it and dispute charges. If someone steals your cash, you may be out of luck.

9. Look for a lock icon on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen if you're shopping online for purchases. This represents a secure website. You will also see "https" in the box for the URL, with the "s" standing for secure.

10. Save all receipts and shipping confirmations. In the event that something gets mixed up or your order never ships, you will want a paper trail of your purchases.

11. Shop on well known websites. Stick with names you trust and always practice better judgment. Many hackers can design websites that appear legitimate, ending up in possible identity theft or unauthorized purchases.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to have fun and enjoy shopping for friends and relatives!
• Never approach your car if you see someone waiting nearby. Ask mall security to escort you to your car.
• Never spray someone with pepper spray unless you are in imminent danger. You may end up scaring yourself and spraying an innocent person that just wanted directions, for example.
• Don't carry all of your credit cards in your wallet. If you happen to get your purse or wallet snatched, you won't want to cancel 10 credit cards at once.
• Never give your credit card number out online unless you're on a secure website. Never email your credit card information to anyone.