Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

With the 2010 Holiday season rapidly approaching us, comes Black Friday and the much anticipated holiday shopping season.Changes are constantly occurring in electronic technology producing faster computers, smarter cell phones, and better cars. However, along with these improvements come new methods from the criminal element to steal our identities, our hard earned money and our holiday gifts that we all have worked so hard for. We all can make this it a lot more difficult for the common thief’s by following a few easy precautions; we have provided you with a list for some of these for your consideration for this upcoming season.

The Physical Security Section folks for the Georgia National Guard Provost Marshal Office would like to take this opportunity to share some very important security precautions with our Georgia National Guard Families.

Black Friday-Holiday Shopping-


Before going out on that much anticipated day clean out that cluttered trunk or back of your van allowing room for all of your packages that you plan to purchase. Avoid leaving packages out in plain view, such as on front seat etc.

CLEAN THE GARAGE and use it to park your vehicle in, it’s much safer to get in and out of and besides it will warm up faster on those cold mornings.

SHOP WITH A FRIEND this is a great opportunity to catch up on the latest with a close friend and have lunch, try to never shop alone. However if you do wind up shopping alone and you get ready to leave the mall/store and you feel uncomfortable going to your vehicle alone especially when it’s dark or late, request mall/store security for a escort, that's what they are for.

Try OBTAINING CREDIT CARDS WITH YOUR PHOTO ON THEM, avoid using debit cards and your pin in crowded stores; most debit cards can be used as credit cards, use that option. Change pin codes at least semi annually.

If your SSN or drivers license number are on your checks HAVE THEM REMOVED, you can always write them in as you need to, besides all you need is your driver's license number avoid giving your SSN to anyone.

DON’T CARRY LARGE AMMOUNTS OF CASH-even if you don't have a debit or credit card you can buy a loadable debit/credit card, the minimum cost is worth it, if you lose it you can get it replaced almost instantly

DON’T CARRY LARGE HANDBAGS, purses etc, consider hip bags-harder to steal, men button your pocket carrying your wallet making harder for pick pockets.

ATM usage-AVOID USING MALL ATM’S AND WALK-UP KIOSKS where there a lot of people around. Thief’s use cell phone cameras and recorders to record you entering your pin for your card, than attempt to steal your purse and or wallet later on.

PARK IN A WELL LIT AREA and whatever you do never lock/unlock your vehicle using your remote door lock, use the actual key. Thief's now have electronic devices that can pick up the code for your car lock. If you open your trunk/vehicle with the remote the thief has your code and when you go back in the mall or other store he can access your vehicle and steal your purchases.

REMOVE AND SECURE PERSONAL ITEMS FROM YOUR VEHICLE -remove items such as gifts, electronics, GPS, XM radio from your vehicle or secure them before going into the mall/store. 
SAVE LARGE PURCHASES FOR LAST If you plan on making a purchase of a large item like a TV, save that for your very last purchase of the day, you don't want to buy that item first and leave it in your vehicle the rest of the day while you continue shopping.

After going home secure your packages in a secure location. Remember to lock the door behind you every time no matter how many trips it takes to unload your vehicle.

INTERNET SHOPPING TIPS

Here are a few tips on internet shopping, first make sure your computer is safe and secure, is your spyware up to date?

We have listed some advice from a company that offers online safe shopping options.

-- GO WITH YOUR GUT. If a price seems too good to be true, be wary. Always check to see if a website or company is reputable. When a website seems unsafe, it might be a good idea to think twice about using it. Check around to see if there's a more secure site selling the same product.

-- MAKE SAFE TRANSACTIONS. When making payments on a website, check to see if its connections are secure. Secure websites will display some sort of security icon, such as a locked padlock or key, and should also have an "s" after "http" in the website address.

--SAVE ALL RECEIPTS. It's smart to save or print out copies of confirmation e-mails, terms and conditions, and warranty information. Be sure to read and understand the company's privacy policy before buying as well. If a site doesn't have a privacy policy posted, consider shopping elsewhere.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

If you receive a suspicious package in the mail or otherwise don’t open it and report it to the local authorities immediately.

--Buy a lockable mailbox.

--Buy a good shredder and shred all of your disregarded mail such as billing information, credit card bills, and utility bills etc.

By putting these simple practices to use you can enjoy a secure and safe Holiday Shopping season and in closing….REMEMBER WHERE YOU PARKED YOUR VEHICLE.