CRIMINAL OPPORTUNITY: BLACK FRIDAY

BLACK FRIDAY Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the unofficial start of the holiday season is the biggest day for retailers…

BLACK FRIDAY ….and one of the biggest days for criminals!

BLACK FRIDAY The term "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black.

BLACK FRIDAY On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 a.m., or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season.

BLACK FRIDAY Black Friday 2011 sales totaled $52.4 billion. The National Retail Federation reported that 138 million shoppers will headed out to the stores on Black Friday.

BLACK FRIDAY Black Friday shopping has become, for many a holiday tradition.

BLACK FRIDAY Unfortunately, potential criminals do not see Black Friday as a way to fill their Christmas Stockings; they see an opportunity to commit crimes.

BLACK FRIDAY The holiday season is a time when busy people can become stressed out, careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime.

BLACK FRIDAY Black Friday Crime Challenges: Assaults Rage Mob Violence Crowd Trampling

BLACK FRIDAY Picket Pockets Purse Wallet Theft Personal From Vehicle Robbery ID Theft

BLACK FRIDAY Crime Prevention Strategies The following crime prevention strategies will help minimize the chances of you being a Black Friday crime victim:

BLACK FRIDAY Always be aware of your surroundings ! Stay alert to your surroundings at all times. Observe people and activities around you. Look confident and purposeful. Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings. Plan and use the safest and most direct route to your destination.

BLACK FRIDAY Shop before dark if possible. Coordinate shopping trips with a friend. Never park in an unlit lot or area, no matter how convenient it is. Never walk or shop listening to music with your ipod or other device, Never walk or shop while talking on your cell phone

BLACK FRIDAY Walk near the curb and do not pass too close to shrubbery, dark doorways and other places of concealment. Avoid shortcuts. Choose busy, well-lighted streets and avoid isolated areas, alleys, vacant lots, abandoned buildings and construction sites. Walk facing traffic so you can see approaching cars.

BLACK FRIDAY 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.

BLACK FRIDAY Carrying Your Valuables Safely Aside from how you look and act, the way you hold your purse or wallet can also be a deciding factor whether or not you're preyed upon. Most thieves will go for the easiest target, which means that if your purse is left unattended in a shopping cart or your wallet is sticking out of your pocket, you're more at risk.

BLACK FRIDAY Get rid of what the thieves are after, in other words, do not carry a purse. Take only what you need, for example, a credit card and a small amount of cash, and put them in a coat or jacket pocket (an inside pocket, if possible). If you must carry a purse, use one with a shoulder strap. The best way to wear it is to wear the strap diagonally across your body. Hold your purse firmly in front of your body.

BLACK FRIDAY Put your wallet in your front pants pocket or an inside coat pocket. If someone bumps or jostles you or attempts to engage you in a conversation, keep in mind someone may be trying to take something from you. Dont carry a large amount of cash on you.

BLACK FRIDAY Packages To keep your packages safe do not buy more than you can carry. Plan ahead by taking a friend with you or ask a store employee to help you carry your packages to the car. Never leave packages visible in your car windows. This is especially relevant for SUVs. Lock them in the trunk.

BLACK FRIDAY Have your keys readily available in your hand before you go to your car. When approaching your vehicle to load your purchases, keep at least one hand free to open your trunk. While loading your packages, dont leave your handbag or purse unattended.

BLACK FRIDAY Protecting Yourself Against Fraud Dont flash lots of money Wait until asked before taking out your credit card or checkbook. An enterprising thief would love to shoulder surf to get your account information.

BLACK FRIDAY Don't sign the back of credit cards with your name; instead shoppers should print "Please ask for my ID" on the signature spot of cards. This requires the sales associate to compare the card against another form of identity to verify the right person is using it. Pictures are a lot harder to forge than signatures.

BLACK FRIDAY Always protect the Personal Identification Number (PIN) for your debit card. Never share it with anyone, write it down, or lend it out. Use your hand or body as a shield when entering your PIN on a keypad. If your debit or credit card is lost or stolen, report it to your financial institution immediately.

BLACK FRIDAY If anything seems unusual about an ATM or point of sale terminal, don't use it; report the situation to police or your financial institution. Once the season is over, make it a habit to sit down with your monthly statements or view your account information online and look for any unusual transactions. If you see anything strange, report it to your financial institution immediately.

BLACK FRIDAY Avoiding Cyber Fraud Do not respond to unsolicited or click links contained within them. Avoid filling out forms contained in messages that ask for personal information.

BLACK FRIDAY Log on directly to the official website for the business identified in the , instead of linking to it from an unsolicited . Contact the business that supposedly sent the to verify that the is genuine. Beware of requests to act quickly. Scammers often try to create a false sense of urgency

BLACK FRIDAY Diffusing Confrontations Christmas shopping can be a stressful event, and if you factor in Door Buster sales and a mob mentality, aggressive confrontations can and have occurred during Black Friday promotions.

BLACK FRIDAY Effective Strategies for Defusing Aggressive Behavior Back Off Let the other person win….is that blouse really worth the potential ramifications?

BLACK FRIDAY Avoid Confrontation Many times you can defuse the anger by remaining calm and reasonable yourself. Speak in a low, soft tone. Keeping things in perspective offers both of you the chance to redirect your interaction.

BLACK FRIDAY Keep Your Own Composure While some people do not overtly display aggressive hostility, they make their anger known in other ways. An individual may use nonverbal cues such as glaring, staring or rolling the eyes.

BLACK FRIDAY Black Friday may be among the most anticipated shopping events of the year for deal hunters, but it's also the most treacherous. Crowds of over- excited shoppers hungry for a door buster sales can quickly become a stampeding mass.

BLACK FRIDAY Crowd Safety Precautions Be aware of your surroundings. Things get weird in a mob setting. Individuals tend to act in ways they would not normally act when they are in a large (and oftentimes unruly) mob. Three years ago, a New York Walmart employee was killed by a rush of shoppers who had waited all night to get in the store,

BLACK FRIDAY Carry a cell phone. You might need to call authorities in an emergency situation. Also, you may need a phone to contact your friends and family should you get separated. Travel in packs. There may be safety in numbers. Your family and friends can give you a hand should you lose your footing in a mob and will offer safety against thieves.

BLACK FRIDAY If you find yourself stuck in a mob scene: Be prepared Stay Calm Stay on the sidelines If you're caught up in a riot, don't take sides. Try to look as inconspicuous as possible, and slowly and carefully move to the outside of the mob. Stay close to walls or other protective barriers if possible but try to avoid bottlenecks. These are areas where the crowd can be squashed into a tight place, such as tunnels, pillars, high fences and walls that go on for a long way.

BLACK FRIDAY Use the social media to alert you as to where to stay away from. Just as the rioters have started using social media and texting to alert one another where to go, you can flip this on its head and ask people to help you know where to stay away from. Messages informing you of which streets and areas are currently being targeted provide you with instantaneous warnings of where to avoid.

BLACK FRIDAY Move away from the riot. The more time you spend in the midst of a riot, the greater your chance of being injured or killed. That said, in most circumstances it's better to move out of a riot slowly

BLACK FRIDAY Get to a safe place, and stay put.

BLACK FRIDAY Don't let criminals be your scrooge this holiday season. Take a few precautions when you shop and you'll enjoy a safe and happy holiday season!

Happy Holidays from your friends at the American Crime Prevention Institute! A Bill Carcara Production