Holiday Shopping Tips From The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office

Posted on November 21, 2011 by ecsosheriff

Date: November 21, 2011

 

 

Shopping during the holiday season can present unique danger. Taking a few prevention measures can help keep you safe this holiday season.

The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. The following tips from the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season.

  • Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.
  • Dress casually and comfortably.
  • Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
  • Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
  • Always carry your Georgia Driver License or Identification Card along with necessary cash, checks and/or a credit card you expect to use.
  • Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
  • Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
  • Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible.
  • Keep cash in your front pocket.
  • Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.
  • Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
  • Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse.
  • Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
  • Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, “con-artists” may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

Shopping Online

  • Shop with known businesses.
  • Obtain a phone number and address for the merchant, as an alternate way to contact them should there be problems with your order.
  • Do not provide your Social Security number or driver’s license number online, this information in not needed to make a purchase.
  • Conduct transactions on a secure server only.
  • Make sure you understand all shipping charges, taxes and delivery dates.
  • Have packages delivered to an address where they won’t be left unattended for long periods of time.

About ecsosheriff

The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, works toward creating a high quality of life in the community by actively working with citizens to reduce crime and the fear of crime and to protect the lives and property of citizens from criminal act or traffic mishap. In order to accomplish our mission, we will concentrate our efforts on cooperative proactive crime prevention measures, engage in visible and directed patrol to deter crime and traffic problems; to utilize human initiative, systematic and thorough techniques and available technology to identify, apprehend and bring to justice criminal offenders; to recover and return stolen property to victims as quickly as possible, to move traffic as safely and expeditiously as possible, generally provide assistance to citizens in urgent situations, and to provide the highest level of public service directed toward community problem solving. The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office will enforce the law in a fair and impartial manner, recognizing both the statutory and judicial limitations of police authority and the constitutional rights of all persons. It is not the role of the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office to legislate, render legal judgments, or punish. The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office serves the people of the County by providing law enforcement service in a professional and courteous manner and it is to these people that the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office is ultimately responsible.
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