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Let’s Keep Your Holiday Shopping Safe and Fun!

by Posted on November 25, 2020

Let’s Keep Your Holiday Shopping Safe and Fun

It is the most wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately, it is also the time of year where crime rates spike. Between Black Friday and Christmas, 30% of all sales occur for retail stores. (1) According to reports from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), two specific types of crime increase in December: robbery and personal larceny. These two crimes increase by approximately 20 percent during the last month of the year. (2) This time of year not only do people tend to have more cash on them, their cars and houses usually contain gifts. With the holidays fast approaching, now is a good time to review some shopping safety tips.

A simple preventive measure that is often overlooked is NOT leaving your valuables, like purses, bags, gifts, etc. in the open. The simple act of concealing your items will help prevent crimes of opportunity. When shopping at brick and mortar locations, it is always best to shop in a group. Remember to practice good situational awareness. When parking, make sure you park in a well-lit area if at night. Also, stay away from areas that someone could be hiding in, like next to non-maintained bushes, large dumpsters, etc.

A new concern for 2020, is COVID-19. While many stores are electing to hold “Black Friday Sales” for multiple days as opposed to one, there are still concerns about the increase in people shopping concurrently, unable to practice social distancing. It is suggested that you wear a mask and continue to practice social distancing whenever possible. Most stores have new policies in place to limit the number of customers allowed inside at the same time to help prevent crowding. Also, remember to follow all local and state guidelines and restrictions.

 

Due to the increase in COVID protocols and restrictions, it is estimated that there will be an increase in cyber-shopping.  U.S. consumers are poised to spend $198.73 billion with online retailers this holiday season, Digital Commerce 360 projects. That would be a 43.3% year-over-year jump from $138.65 billion for the same November-December period in 2019. (3)

This is a good time to review your cybersecurity measures.

  • Don’t click on suspicious or unknown links.
  • Don’t give out personal information to non-trusted sources.
  • If it is too good to be true, it more than likely a scam.
  • Verify you are on a secure site.
  • Use a credit card instead of a debit card.
  • Check your bank statements frequently.
  • Don’t use a public WIFI network when making purchases

Remember, when in doubt, don’t click.

Another holiday problem that people face is porch pirates. Here are the top 50 cities for Amazon package theft:

Source: https://www.cepro.com/news/amazon_package_theft_data_porch_pirates/

Whether receiving an order, or a gift, you should be aware of the potential threats of theft after delivery. Some easy things that you can do to help prevent porch pirates are:

  • Have a community watch with your neighbors. Keep an eye out for each other.
  • Have your packages delivered to a PO Box.
  • If possible, have packages delivered to your place of business if you cannot be home for delivery.
  • Use a smart lock and lockbox.
  • Require a signature.
  • Buy insurance for your packages.

These are just a few tips that you can use to help prevent you from becoming a victim. Remember to abide by local restrictions when shopping. This is the happiest time of the year, so make sure an easily preventable incident doesn’t occur to help keep it that way.

 

Freedom Consulting LLC – WR

 

 

 

 

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