Back to School Shopping Safety Tips
School Shopping Safety Tips
With this being tax free shopping week in Maryland for certain items, the stores will be packed with shoppers, myself included.
Every year around the holidays, we all hear about the shopping safety tips. Summer is also a big shopping season, so I thought I would take a few minutes to remind you of some of these tips.
- If possible, shop during daylight hours. If you do shop at night, try to go with a friend or family member.
- If you carry a wallet or purse, be extra careful. These are prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas.
- Avoid overloading yourself with shopping bags. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
- Beware of your surroundings. Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason and of people trying to distract you. Often criminals work in teams, with one offering up a distraction with another attempting to steal from you.
- Avoid leaving packages and bags in clear view in your vehicle. The last thing you want after a day of shopping is to come back to your vehicle to discover that it has been broken into and all of your items have disappeared. If this does happen, the items stolen would be covered under your Home Insurance policy or your Renters Insurance policy.
A lot of these tips seem to be common sense items. But when we are busy shopping, running from store to store to get the clothes for the kids and their school supplies, sometimes we forget about our own personal safety. And that is what the criminals are hoping for, a moment of vulnerability on your part. So don’t make yourself an easy target.
