INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Bankers Association has issued a series of holiday shopping tips to protect consumers from thieves looking to take advantage of the chaos of Black Friday.

            When shopping in public places, shop during daylight hours or park in a well-lit, high-traffic area; leave personal valuables at home or else locked in the trunk out of sight; always lock your car and close the windows and sunroof; dress casually and avoid wearing expensive jewelry; avoid carrying large amounts of cash and pay for purchases with checks or credit cards; beware of strangers approaching you for any reason because con artists try to distract you while accomplices steal your valuables; and keep a record of all credit card numbers in safe place so you can contact the credit card provider if a card is lost or stolen.

            At home, have a neighbor watch your house and pick up mail; keep lights on automatic timers and keep curtains closed; leave a radio or television on so the house sounds occupied; don’t leave gifts or household valuables visible through windows; and don’t brag to friends on Facebook or other social media that you are out of town.

            Finally, when shopping online use only secure websites that have the visible SSL certificates; shop sites you’re familiar with; before visiting a new site, read shopper reviews about it; and use credit, not debit cards, especially if your credit card offers buyer protection.