Be safe and prepared

The Christmas season is a time for giving, but for thieves and burglars, it is a unique season for taking your hard-earned money, gifts and possessions.

They may ultimately rob you of all the joy and sense of goodness that the holidays are all about.

“We must also be security conscious as there are people out there with a different agenda from ours.

“For this reason, we can never be too careful, too prepared or too aware,” says Liaan Horton, general manager at a local security company.

Here are some security tips that can be of great value during this Yuletide season:

Children

• If possible, leave small children at home with a trusted babysitter.

• Teach children to stay close to you at all times while shopping.

• Never allow children to make unaccompanied trips to the restroom.

• Children should never be allowed to go to the car alone and they should never be left alone in the car.

• Teach children to immediately inform you if a stranger is bothering them.

Shopping

• It is advisable to shop during the day, but if you must shop at night, ensure you go with a friend or family member.

• Avoid wearing expensive items when shopping.

• Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.

• Even when in a rush and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.

• Avoid carrying cash as much as possible. Pay for purchases with your debit card.

• Keep available cash in your front pocket.

• Notify your bank immediately if your debit card is lost or stolen.

• Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason.

Home

• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes.

• Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.

• Increase your home security by installing solid core doors, heavy duty locks and other security devices.

Identity theft

• Avoid promotional scams; fraudsters use them to get your personal information.

• Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work and at home as well as documents containing sensitive personal information.

• Carry only the identification information and the number of bank cards that you actually need.

• Don’t use the same password for everything: create multiple passwords and change them regularly.

• Don’t disclose your identification details to anyone. If you suspect a compromise, immediately change your passwords and alert the relevant authorities.

• Don’t leave security devices such as tokens, keys etc. exposed; always ensure they are safely kept.

The above tips could set us in the right direction for a safe Christmas celebration.