Christmas Shopper Safety Tips

GULF SHORES Ala.

With the excitement of the holidays in the air and thousands of shoppers already hitting the stores and malls, now is the time for a refresher in shopping security.

Every year, hundreds of people are seriously injured or killed while doing Christmas shopping, and thousands more are assaulted, robbed ,and have their property or their vehicles stolen.

While it’s almost impossible to be 100 % safe, there are many things that shoppers can do to decrease the possibility of being victims this holiday season.

Some of these include:

Be aware of your surroundings

When possible, shop in pairs

Park in a well-lit area and as close to an entrance as possible

Stay off your phone while walking from your car to the store

If someone approaches you keep walking

Guard your purse

Stay alert

Avoid carrying large amounts of cash

Beware of giving scams

Don’t share personal information

Only purchase from secure sites

Protect your passwords

Avoid using public wi-fi

We’ll have another list of do and don’t safety tips in the next edition.