Crowds are anticipated to make their return this year on Black Friday and heavy online shopping for Cyber Monday. Industry experts expect stores to be more crowded than they were in 2020.
Con artists and scammers are particularly active during the holiday season, both in-person and online. Salisbury Police offers a few tips to stay safe from criminals this holiday season.
In-Person Shopping Tips
- While shopping, stay aware of your surroundings. Keep packages in the trunk or hidden from view.
- Try to shop during the day or park in a well-lit area while shopping at night.
- Ladies: Keep purse close to your body or carry your driver’s license, cash and/or “one” credit card in your front pocket.
- Men: Don’t have wallet visible in your back pocket. Try to carry your driver’s license, cash and/or “one” credit card in your front pocket.
Online Shopping Tips
- Think before you click: Beware of ads encouraging users to click on links. If you receive an enticing offer, do not click on the link. Instead, go directly to the company’s website to verify the offer.
- Use credit cards over debit cards: There are more consumer protections for credit cards if something goes awry. Or, you can use a third party payment service instead of your credit card. There are many services you can use to pay for purchases without giving the merchant your credit card information. directly