With the holiday shopping season already well underway, Telgian Engineering & Consulting security expert Lauris Freidenfelds recently shared top personal safety and security tips with Fox News viewers. Freidenfelds explored safe practices for in-person shopping, as well as online shopping, as the threat of online hackers and scams continues to grow.

As Senior Project Manager for Telgian Engineering & Consulting and a nationally recognized security expert, Freidenfelds focuses on safety, security and emergency management for a variety of clients. His 40+ years of experience include operational security, technology and emergency management programs. His extensive knowledge of emergency management personnel and operations encompasses planning, organizing, and directing security programs and activities, as well as development and coordination of disaster preparedness plans, the mitigation of, preparation for, and recovery from hazards and disasters.

Below are more of Freidenfelds’ key personal safety and security tips for the holiday season:

Virtual Shopping

• This is the holiday shopping season, thieves are “shopping,” too. Use secure websites for purchases. Look for the icon of a locked padlock at the bottom of the screen or “https” in the URL address.
• Keep an eye on your accounts daily. Make sure unauthorized purchases are detected and reported early.
• Don’t make impulse donations to alleged charities. Investigate charities before making donations. Ask how the funds will be used.
• Think before you click. Pay attention to emails you receive. Don’t open emails from unknown senders or click on links in suspicious messages.
• Avoid using your credit card online, use a reliable, established third-party payment service, such as Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal.
• Beware of telephone scams. Never pay someone over the phone without verifying their identity and without getting a copy of the invoice. Never use gift cards to pay. 

Personal Safety

• Enable My Location tracking services on your smart phone. Set up your SOS app. Be able to use these.
• The worst place in a multi-level parking garage is an interior stairwell, avoid them and certainly never use them alone.
• There is safety in numbers. When walking to your car, try to walk with others. Always pay attention to your surroundings, look at people and acknowledge them, it tells them that you are aware of them which may deter them from targeting you.
• When shopping with friends and family, select a central meeting place. Teach children to know they can ask mall personnel or store security employees if they need help.
• Know where emergency exits are located. Remember your options in an emergency; Run, Hide and as a last resort Fight.

Keep Property Safe

• Don’t leave your purse or valuables unattended in an open office or area. Thieves look for easy opportunities to grab and run.
• Never leave your packages visible in the car. Thieves look for bags left in plain view and will resort to breaking the window just to get to them.
• When you are out shopping, always park in a well-lit area. Don’t park next to big vans or trucks.
• Porch thieves are abundant. As we increase our on-line shopping activities, consider security measures for deliveries, install a video doorbell, increase lighting on your porch and possibly invest in a package delivery box.
• Beware of pickpocket teams trying to distract you as they gab something out of your open purse or bag. When you feel someone bump into you, check your valuables. Be careful in elevators and revolving doors. Zip them up!
• Please remember that no property is worth your life. When confronted by a thief, carjacker or other criminal; give up your property and live another day.

About Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC (TEC)

Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC (TEC) is a full-service global design, engineering and risk mitigation consulting firm providing professional services related to the protection of people, property, information and organizational mission against preventable losses. These include security risk consulting, strategic / enterprise risk management, fire protection engineering and environmental health and safety.

For media interviews with Lauris Freidenfelds or additional information, please contact Susan McNeill, smcneill@telgian.com.