Crowded stores, people bumping into each other, plenty of distractions, a lot of credit cards being flashed and a lot of money changing hands. For most of us it’s the start of the holiday shopping season, but for pickpockets and identity thieves it’s already like Christmas.
Action 2 News has advice to keep your family, your packages and your credit safe.
We’ve compiled this advice from local law enforcement, the Better Business Bureau, professional crime prevention organizations and identity theft protection services.
Crowd control
1. The name “doorbusters” is associated with Black Friday sales for a reason. When the doors open, that long line of people waiting for big sales can turn into a stampede. Expect this and be prepared.
2. Wear shoes that give you good footing, to avoid slips and falls.
3. Go in as a group; family and friends can help you up quickly if you stumble.
4. The American Crime Prevention Institute advises you stay close to walls and protective barriers if it’s safe to do so, and avoid the bottlenecks.
5. Carry a cell phone, in case you need to call for help or get separated from your group.
6. Avoid confrontation. Remember there will be more opportunities to shop, and one disorderly conduct ticket could wipe out any savings you get from a Black Friday sale.
Shopping with children
7. If shopping with children, decide on a meeting place in case you get separated. Do not make this meeting place near the doors or the restrooms. Do not choose a meeting place that is likely to be busy (e.g., the electronics department).
8. As you move around a shopping mall, change your meeting place based on somewhere or something close to you.
9. Make your children verbally repeat the meeting place to know that they understand.
10. Teach younger children to identify store employees (e.g., people without coats who are wearing shirts in the store colors or working behind cash registers) and other people they can easily identify and go to for help, including security guards and mothers shopping with children.
Outside the store
11. Always lock your car doors, “even if you are just planning to make it a quick stop,” the Green Bay Police Department advises.
12. Park in well-lit areas. Even if it’s daytime, park near lamp posts — it will make finding your car easier and offer protection if your shopping trip lasts past nightfall.
13. Avoid parking next to vehicles with dark, tinted windows.
14. Have your car keys in hand before you walk through the parking lot.
15. Be aware of your surroundings and anyone who may be following you. Don’t focus on your smartphone or listen to an iPod or other music player, because these can distract you from being aware of your surroundings.
16. Don’t purchase more than you can carry — this is another time shopping with family or friends comes in handy, or ask a store employee for help.
17. Lock packages in the trunk. If you have an SUV or station wagon, use a shade, tarp or blanket to cover what’s in the back.
18. Leave nothing in plain sight inside your vehicle — not just Christmas packages but also CDs, gift cards, sunglasses and other belongings.
19. If you’ve carried packages to your car and plan to go back into the store or mall, move your car to another place in the parking lot. To someone who watched you carrying packages, it will appear that you’re leaving and no longer a “mark.”
Inside the store
20. Avoid bringing a lot of cash. Plan on paying with check or credit card.
21. Take anything you don’t need out of your wallet. Pack only the credit cards and loyalty cards you intend to use and your driver’s license. You’re minimizing what can be stolen.
22. If possible, don’t bring a purse, just a wallet.
23. Make your wallet hard to grab. Carry it in the front pocket of your pants or an inside pocket of a coat.
24. If you must have a purse:
Never put it in your shopping cart or let it leave your person;
use a purse with a long strap you can sling across your body, making it impossible to pull off of you;
ideally, don’t use a purse that fastens at the top; use a purse with a flap that goes over the top and keep it fastened;
keep your purse fastened or zipped except when checking out.
25. Beware anyone approaching you for any reason. “Con artists may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or your belongings,” The American Crime Prevention Institute cautions. In 2011, a couple was suspected of stealing purses in Oshkosh and Appleton — the woman would strike up a conversation to distract the victim while the man took the purse from the shopping cart.
26. Keep your credit card in sight. With touchpads common at checkouts now, a clerk should not have to take your card out of your sight. Don’t let yourself be distracted while checking out; identity thieves may take the opportunity to look at your card number or watch you type in your PIN.
27. Not all theft is intentional. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection urges you to monitor your items being rung up to make sure the prices are what you expect. “If there is an overcharge, speak up when you are in the store and ask for a refund.”
28. When possible, slip valuable items into non-descript bags or bags from other stores. Thieves are more likely to target a bag from a jewelry store than a book store.
29. See something, say something. Notify a security guard or store employee if you see packages left unattended. There are terrorism concerns, but you could also make a family very happy to learn their packages are at Lost & Found and weren’t whisked away by a thief.
At your doorstep
30. Take advantage of package tracking. Check often until you receive your package. If shipping from a store, ask if they offer package tracking.
31. Ask if a store offers signature-upon-delivery for packages.
32. If you can, request a delivery at a time when you will be home. If you know you won’t be home during delivery times, have the package shipped to your workplace or to the home of a trusted neighbor, relative or friend who you know will be home. Because of the chance for theft, delivery services usually won’t acknowledge a note taped to your door asking you to change the delivery destination. Delivery services may let you divert a package before the first delivery attempt or pick up the package at one of their locations. For US Postal Service delivery change options, click here. For UPS delivery options, click here. For FedEx delivery options, click here.
33. Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye out for packages on your doorstep and take them in for safe keeping. Offer to do the same for them.
34. Ask the delivery service to put packages where they aren’t easily seen by others, such as the back door.
35. Inspect the package contents immediately. It’s not just a good idea for making sure your package wasn’t tampered with but also to make sure you received everything you expected.
Identity fraud
36. Green Bay police suggest keeping a copy of your credit card information at home. Include the telephone numbers for the credit card issuer from the back of the card. Contact the credit card issuer as soon as possible to have a stolen card canceled.
37. Check your credit card and bank accounts online after a shopping trip as well as your monthly statement. This will help you catch any fraudulent or questionable charges sooner.
38. Never click on links or respond to emails and text messages warning you that you’ve approached or exceeded your credit limit or that a hold is being placed on your credit card. These may be legitimate warnings after spending sprees, but go to your credit card company’s website yourself to verify it, never through a link.
39. Similarly, beware of callers claiming to be with your credit card company or using a generic name such as “Card Services.” Even if they provide you with a callback number to seem legit, don’t bother. Call the number on the back of the credit card if you want to verify there are issues with your account.
40. Your bank or credit card company will never ask you for your account number, whether the request is through a phone call, email or text message. They already know that information.
41. If you get an email or a check in the mail (or what appears to be a check) offering to make you a Secret Shopper this holiday season, toss it out.
42. The Better Business Bureau warns if you get an unexpected holiday greeting by email, verify with your friend that they sent it before opening it or clicking on any links. You don’t want spyware or a virus on your computer for Christmas.
