It’s time to start thinking about holiday shopping, and that means it’s time to start thinking about protecting those purchases — and yourself.
Area police departments and the National Crime Prevention Council have a veritable plethora of shopping safety suggestions on how to keep porch pirates from stealing your online purchases, and how to keep yourself and your stuff safe when you’re at, or leaving, the mall.
Mail Order
If someone’s generally at home during the day, select signature confirmation when you order something online.
If there isn’t someone at home during the day, ask a neighbor whether you can have packages delivered to their house — or get it delivered to your workplace if that’s OK.
Some delivery services, such as the U.S. Postal Service and Amazon, will hold your packages at their locations. You’ll have to go and get them, but the packages will be safe.
At the Mall
Don’t buy more than you can easily carry, and keep your purse close to your body, or your wallet in a front pocket.
Don’t take out your wallet or credit card until you have to.
Keep your car keys in your hand while you’re walking to your car, and check around the car and in the back seat before you get in.
And if you’re bringing kids along with you to shop, make sure there’s a shopping safety plan if you get separated: Tell kids they can talk with mall workers if they need help; depending on their age, decide with them on a place to meet up if you get separated, and make sure they’ve memorized your cellphone number.
Feature image, adobe.stock.com
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