Holiday Safety Tips Protect your home and your wallet!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not only synonymous with holiday shopping deals; they are also prone to identity theft and high risk of theft. It is important to remember these basic Christmas safety tips and ways for staying safe around the holidays while you are doing your holiday shopping in stores or online. While you might have your eyes set on snagging the next big deal in the store, burglars are looking for ways to break in while you are away and distracted from the home. Similarly, online thieves are out in full force ready to capitalize on the millions of online shoppers who are submitting their private credit card information. Whether you do your shopping online or in the stores, it is important to remember these basic Christmas safety tips to protect yourself against holiday season.

Christmas Safety Tips for Black Friday

While you are out standing in line for the stores to open at dawn or home late trying to scoop up every deal on Black Friday remember to keep in mind these basic Christmas safety tips.

• Lock everything:This seems obvious, but more often than you would expect a burglar gets into a house just because something was left open or unlocked, especially with houseguests visiting who may not have keys.
• Secure valuables:Never leave anything of value out in plain sight. If you have not already done so, now may be a good time to consider placing any jewelry, extra cash, or other valuables in a safe deposit box or even a secure hidden safe within the house. Nothing should ever be visible from any window and the master bedroom is the first room any intruder will check for valuables.
• Control your social status:Though you might be tempted to broadcast to the world about how excited you are for your holiday travels or Black Friday shopping sprees, resist the urge to broadcast to the whole world that you are not going to be home. Many people cannot seem to wait to let everyone on Facebook or Twitter know that they are about to leave and this is a dangerous thing to share.
• Leave the light on: Not the most eco-friendly advice, but the more it looks like someone is home, the less likely that someone will try to intrude on your home. Keep the lights on, the Christmas lights lit, and the television on. Anything to signal potential robbers that someone is home. The home automation and smartphone interactive management tools available from many security systems today allows for you to turn your off and on the lights throughout the day and night to keep up appearances that someone is home.
• Activate your alarm system:Again, while it may seem obvious, your mind is distracted and you could be in a rush to get out the door. Do not forget to arm your security system – this simple step will go a long way to protect your home.

When in doubt, think like a robber. How would they get in? Does it look like someone is home? Where are your valuables? Use common sense, remember these easy home security tips, and ensure your possessions will be safe from harm while you are out doing your Christmas shopping, traveling, or partying.

Christmas Safety Tips for Cyber Monday

Ready to get a great online deal or get your credit card compromised. Approximately 7% of all United States adults have their personal identities stolen or otherwise misused and the average financial loss per person is around $3,500. Do not let this happen to you while doing your online Christmas shopping on Cyber Monday by investing in identity protection software. Trust us, it’s well worth it! You have insurance for your car, health, home so why not have it to protect yourself from being a victim of identity theft too. The cyber risks are growing daily and you have worked too hard to have your money and identity stolen.

There are several identity theft protection services available that range in their coverage of protection of your personal information. Whether you are looking for a service that will lock down every aspect of your life tighter than Fort Knox or whether you are looking for a service to protect your social security number, there are identity protection services to meet your needs. Look at reviews on the service and pick for the best to keep you safe, during the holidays and every day.

We wish you a safe and Happy Holiday Season!