Dec
16
Added:
12/16/2011 1:34 PM
Can you believe that there are only two Saturday's left to shop until Christmas?
As you venture out this final week to do your shopping, keep in mind these few tips to help keep you and your belongings safe. Most of these tips can be useful year-round for shopping.
Online Shopping:
When shopping online, make sure the website/online retailer is reputable. Fake websites are prevalent, so do some research before making a purchase if you are unfamiliar with the retailer. You can enter the name of the business, or the website address, into a search engine, along with the word scam or fraud and see if any hits come up. You can also check Shopping.com, Pricegrabber.com or Nextag.com to see reviews and make comparisons for certain retailers.
Also, make sure that the site you are shopping on is secure. Secure servers web addresses begin with "https" rather than "http".
Mall Shopping:
A good tip to use year-round is to park in a well-lit area when shopping at the mall or a large store. Do not try to carry too many packages that will make it hard to get your keys out in advance. Presents are not the only thing thieves try to steal this year. A new car for them would make a nice gift. Thieves are also looking in cars to see if you have an XM radio, a Garmin, cell phone, IPAD, etc. lying around that they would like. Place these items in the glove box or center console out of site to make your car less of a target.
Pickpockets are still around, but even more so this time of year. Crowded shopping malls are a perfect place for a pickpocket to bump into you and grab your purse or wallet. Try to keep your distance from others, but if that isn't possible, hold your purse tightly and make sure to keep the top closed. How many times have you seen a woman walking with a large shoulder bag and only one strap is on her shoulder causing the other strap to hang down and pull the purse open. That is easy pickings for a pick pocket.
Do not leave your purse unattended in a shopping cart, even in a grocery store. Many times, women will leave their purse in the child seat area and turn or bend down to get something off a shelf. It only takes a second for someone to reach in and grab your wallet, or walk away with your entire purse.
Pay attention to the amounts being rung up when checking out. Many clerks are over-whelmed during these last few days before Christmas and may accidently over-charge you or short change you when you pay.
Mail Order Deliveries:
Thieves know that people order online and will often watch for deliveries to homes. Most retailers will send a tracking number to your email when they ship your order. Follow the tracking and, if possible, have someone home to take delivery of the package. Or, have the package delivered to your work address so that you know it won't be sitting on your porch all day unattended.
Be wary of delivery notices taped to your door informing you that an attempted delivery was made. If you aren't expecting a package, look up the phone number before dialing. A quick Google search should tell you if the number is a scam or legitimate.
Update your firewall and virus protection:
In these crazy busy days before the holiday, it's easy to click the install later button when you get a notice on your computer of an update. Keep your computer updated at all times, but especially during the holidays. The firewall and virus protection help keep "phishing" and "pharming" spams at bay.
According to the Office of the Attorney General for Michigan, many identity thieves will send out an email that looks like it's coming from a popular on-line merchant. It may even have an order number. Clicking the link may allow a virus or spyware to download allowing the sender to steal personal data. To learn more see the Attorney General's consumer alert entitled "Fraudulent E-mail Thieves Intend to Steal Your Personal Information", at www.Michigan.gov.
Hopefully, these simple, common sense tips will help keep your new gifts and your identity safe during this Christmas season.
Nancy Tolmacs
Watts Realty Team
5071 Gull Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49048