Porch pirates and online scammers: Keeping yourself safe during the holidays

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With the holiday season in full swing, many would-be-thieves are hard at work both online and in-person. 

Lt. Greg Willett with the Wilmington Police Department says the most common types of the theft during the holidays are crimes of opportunity, meaning thieves notice a package on a porch or gift in a car before taking it. 

He says some tips to keep you and your gifts safe include: 

• Always locking your car 

• Removing valuables from your car as soon as possible 

• Locking the front and back door of your home everyday 

• Investing in a home security system or doorbell camera 

“Like anything else crime prevention related, it’s about target hardening,” Willett said. “With your vehicle or your home or your porch being the target, you want to make that harder for individuals to target.” 

Willett adds if you’re buying gifts from Amazon, you can select a secure drop off locker for the package, which can prevent porch pirates. 

Though, it’s not just physical theft you should be thinking about during the holidays. Online scammers are also hoping to take their share. 

Meredith Radford with the Better Business Bureau says online scams could come in a variety of forms like free trial offers, social media ads, or online storefronts that look legitimate but are actually scams. 

“If you’re looking for a particular product, we recommend just searching it elsewhere and not clicking on ads if you can avoid it,” Radford said. 

If you do find yourself on a questionable website, Radford says there’s a number of things to keep an eye out for. 

“If you’re on a website and things seem off, like the links on that website don’t work, or the URL is weird, has a lot of strange characters that have nothing to do with the label, that can be a red flag,” Radford explained. 

Radford adds you should always avoid clicking links in text messages claiming to be from a well-known company like USPS. Most importantly, you should never share your personal information unless you know it’s safe to do so. 

You can view more scam safety tips from the BBB on their website.