Important Holiday Security Tips when you’re Shopping
The importance of holiday security tips cannot be understated. The holiday season is here and, for most of us, that means shopping. However, for some people, it means greater opportunities to commit crimes. This means holiday security tips are important to be aware of and follow. During the holiday season there are more people out at shopping malls and public places and they are carrying more valuables in the form of purchases, money and many other items. This situation can often lead to increased crime.
When you’re out shopping this holiday season, it’s crucial that you take precautions to protect yourself. Here are a few
important holiday security tips that will keep you safe.
Keep Valuables Out of Sight
Criminals steal what they can see. To protect yourself, make sure to follow these holiday security tips, which includes keeping your valuables out of sight whenever possible. This means locking your shopping bags in your trunk rather than leaving them on the seats of your car where they can obviously be seen. The same idea is true for valuables at home. Don’t place your new expensive gifts right in front of your windows. Keep them inside your home where they can’t be seen. Following important holiday security tips is crucial. You should always remember to keep your purse, bag or wallet close to your body. In front of you is better than beside or behind you. This will make you more difficult to steal from.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Be aware of what is happening around you. This is a crucial part of many
important holiday security tips and vital to staying safe. If you are in a shopping mall or parking lot, take note of who is nearby. Avoid people who seem to be loitering around for no reason. If you feel as though you are being followed, head towards a group of people or into a store. Remember that talking on the phone or texting can distract you, so limit these activities whenever possible.
Protect Your Information
Whether you’re withdrawing money from an ATM, making a debit or credit card purchase in a store or shopping online, remember these important holiday security tips. It’s crucial that you protect your financial information. Cover your PIN when you enter it. Rest your fingers on additional numbers (not code related numbers) to help hide your real numbers. Remember that heat imaging smart phones can now capture numbers recently entered, your fingers leave a ‘heat trace’. Check to see if anyone might be looking over your shoulder, only visit well-lit ATMs and be sure to only enter payment details on secure and verified websites.
Shop with Friends
One of the most
important holiday security tips to follow is that there is safety in numbers. Whenever possible, go holiday shopping with at least one friend and keep an eye out for one another. This is especially true if you are shopping at night. If you do end up shopping by yourself, you may want to ask mall security to walk you to your car if it’s dark outside or if there aren’t very many people around. Try to avoid high risk situations like walking alone that make you a target.
SafeTech Knows Important Holiday Security Tips
SafeTech understands what it takes to protect people and property. We’ve been doing it for almost 25 years. To find out more about safety and security and how you can protect yourself from criminals, take advantage of our free risk assessment. It can help you determine what security weakness exists in your home and what steps you can take to eliminate them. We can help you stay safe with important holiday security tips and more.
