According to the Washington Post, a woman was abducted from the shopping mall near my house yesterday — at one in the afternoon, broad daylight.  She was forced to withdraw money from several banks and then released unharmed.

That incident and the fact that many readers may be out shopping this weekend gives rise to some basic shopping safety tips:

• Carry only the cash or credit cards you will need for the shopping you plan to do.  Make sure that you have the account number for those cards, along with the toll-free number, in a safe place at home.  If the card is lost or stolen, call right away and have the account frozen.  If you don’t find the card, the company will close that account and issue you a new card.  In the meantime, you aren’t responsible for any charges made.
• Be very aware of your purse and pockets.  Never keep a wallet or credit card in a place where it is easily snatched (e.g., a purse dangling from your arm or a coat hung over the back of a food court chair).  A pants pocket underneath your winter coat is a much more challenging pocket to pick than is the coat pocket.
• Whenever possible, shop with a buddy.  You can go your separate ways in the mall, but go to and from the car together.
• Many malls have security guards who will escort you to your car.  Use this service!  Especially at night.
• A very common holiday season crime is theft from cars.  Folks go about their shopping and leave previously purchased presents in full view through their car windows, making a tempting target for thieves.  Try to keep your packages in a place where they are not visible from the outside.  Small packages, like jewelry, might fit in the glove compartment; larger packages in the trunk.  Putting them under a blanket on the back seat fools no one.  Also, don’t use your car as a storage place for gifts.  It’s much easier to steal from a car than from a house.
• Keep your receipts separate from the gifts.  You might want to carry a small envelope or plastic bag to hold your all your receipts.  If gifts are stolen, you’ll know exactly what you bought and the cost for the police and insurance reports.  You can also use the receipts to help you remember what you bought and for whom.  Looking over the receipts after each shopping session can help you stay on budget this year, check your credit card statements, and plan your budget for next year.
• Make use of technology to watch for credit card fraud.  Thieves can steal your card information without stealing the actual card.  Register on the card’s website and check your online account information every few days during the Christmas season.  If you see a charge you don’t recognize, call the company immediately.  The sooner you catch it, the easier things are to fix.  If you don’t want your spouse to be looking at the details of what you bought (spoiling the surprise), make an agreement about which credit cards each of you will use this Christmas.  The person using the card is responsible for checking the online statement.

Remember, if someone does try to rob you, let them have whatever it is.  Your life is a far greater gift than anything that fits in a shopping bag.