Entertainment
Safety tips for festive season shopping─── ZENANDE MPAME 15:19 Tue, 12 Nov 2024
Shopping during the festive season should be fun, but as always, it’s important to put safety first. People are urged to be more vigilant this time of year as to not let the holiday hustle and bustle become a distraction.
Incidences of theft and robbery usually show a sharp increase during the holidays, especially in and around shopping malls. People become soft targets for carrying more cash, wearing valuable jewellery and often get easily distracted in crowded places.
“Simply paying attention to your surroundings can make a huge difference,” said Fidelity Services Group's head of marketing, Charnel Hattingh. “Criminals target people who are distracted since they’re easier to rob quickly. I urge everyone to take action if something or someone seems suspicious.”
Parents and guardians must know exactly where their children are at all times.
Should you find yourself in a store that’s being robbed, Fidelity recommends the following:
- Avoid using your cell phone, as it could provoke robbers escalating the situation.
- Cooperate with the robbers. Listen and follow instructions to stay safe.
- Try to remember details about the robbers to later share with the police.
- Remain as calm as possible, breathe deeply, and stay composed until help arrives.
- Avoid main entrances and exits, which might be used by the robbers.
Hattingh said children should be always kept by your side and should be educated in identifying suspicious people or potentially dangerous situations.
Busy malls attract criminals since it’s easy to disappear in the crowd after having committed a crime. Parking areas also pose a risk. Opportunistic criminals frequently lurk here to identify potential targets.
[LIVE FROM ALEX]: Four suspected robbers have been arrested at Alex Mall. Local police in Alexandra, along with other law enforcement agencies, responded swiftly to the alleged robbery at the mall. WATCH https://t.co/cCOVxyUJ1S @ScrollaAfrica pic.twitter.com/xDbmdyErsd
— BEAST OF NEWS (@EversonLuhanga) November 8, 2024
Fidelity’s tips for safer shopping in busy malls:
- Leave headphones at home to avoid unnecessary distraction.
- Leave valuable items, like jewellery, at home.
- Anything or anyone making you feel uneasy should immediately be reported.
- Avoid ATMs late at night, rather withdraw cash from a grocery store.
- Always stay vigilant and fully aware of what’s going on around you.
- Stay alert on your way back to your car.
