Holiday Safety Tips

Stay Safe During the Holidays

Many people love shopping during the holidays, seeing all the sights and sounds and taking in all the wonderful sales, while others rush from store to store in a shopping marathon until exhaustion sets in. During this hectic time, it is particularly important to be extra careful to avoid situations where you could become the victim of crime. Do not take security for granted, especially in parking lots. The below is a simple list of reminders and tips that could prevent you from falling prey to those who take advantage of others during this time.

Be alert to your surroundings. Carrying an excess number of packages makes you an easy target. If necessary, leave packages with a store attendant while you retrieve your vehicle and load near the door of the store.

NEVER walk through a parking lot while on a cell phone.

Most crimes occur under the cover of darkness. If you must shop at night by yourself, ask someone from the store to escort you to your car.

If a van without windows is parked next to your driver's door, enter the vehicle from the passenger side. Vans are easy vehicles to use for abductions..

Avoid making yourself an obvious target. People notice when items are paid for from large amounts of cash. Also avoid wearing expensive jewelry. Instead, dress casually, and whenever possible pay with credit cards or checks.

Beware of scam artists that know people are more vulnerable to sad stories during the holidays. If you are approached by a stranger, be polite, but continue walking until you are with sales clerks or more shoppers. Also pay particular attention to becoming distracted. Often people will work in teams to create a disturbance while their pick-pocketing friends zero in.

Keep a record of all your credit card numbers with contact information for each one. If your cards are ever lost or stolen, this information will allow you report the loss quickly.

If you have been injured as a result of a crime committed against you while shopping you know the danger in not being alert to your surroundings is real. If you feel the business could have done more to monitor and keep the public areas where you shop safe contact the attorneys at Billings, Morgan and Boatwright for a free consultation and case evaluation.