Many of us will be gifting from afar this year by purchasing and shipping our gifts online. The uptick in online shopping thanks to the pandemic means that there are more opportunities for fraud, ID theft, phishing, and other harmful scams.
With holiday fraud attempts already growing each year, it’s important to know how to keep yourself safe. Avoid these bad actors by employing some key online shopping security tips this year.
Thanksgiving is a time for food, family…and fires. The holiday boasts more home cooking fires than any other day of the year. Turkey fryers alone account for more than 900 destroyed homes and over $15 million in property damages annually.
Fires aren’t the only cause for concern during Thanksgiving weekend. Break-ins are just as likely during this time as any other season. Keep your family protected by following a few simple safety procedures. These tips will ensure that your family can enjoy a happy and safe Thanksgiving.
Depending on your state, county, city or town, your child may be returning soon to the classroom. With the threat of COVID-19 remaining here in New England, you’ll want to take the best approach to ensure your child’s safety in and outside the school or playground.
The challenges for successful reopening and education are considerable, as a Mayo Clinic article on the subject notes. It states, “As schools reopen, they must balance the educational, social and emotional needs of their students along with the health and safety of students and staff in the midst of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.”
Vacation homes are often a dream — and appropriately, they are often in dreamy, remote places. Perhaps yours is in the mountains of New Hampshire, or near the dunes of Cape Cod, or by the lakes in Maine.
Because of our usual long distance from these sites, we can’t always physically check on them in person. So, naturally, it’s reasonable to fret about your vacation home’s condition. You don’t want to have a getaway ruined when you arrive at your dream house and discover it’s been ransacked or flooded.
Halloween crept up quicker than you can say “boo!” and you should be aware of the night’s spooky security facts. About 175 million Americans will be observing the holiday in some form, says CNN. With all those parties, costumes and related activity in New England and beyond, it should be no surprise Halloween can be a scary day for homeowners.
In fact, the holiday sees a 17 percent spike in home claims for vandalism, theft and other crimes, as compared to the 364 other days a year, notes a recent CNBC article. The most common vandalism acts include kicked-in doors, broken windows and mailboxes knocked down. Also, in-house theft claims jump by 60 percent, says a USA Today article. Read more →
School is out and that means less activity in school buildings. Installing security cameras around campus will ensure that buildings are safe from vandals during the summer months. If your campus needs a security upgrade there is no time like the present. Read on for some of the reasons why. Read more →
Dealing with organized retail crime (ORC) is one of the major challenges for loss prevention programs across the country. Now that holiday and Black Friday shopping are fast approaching, ORC is likely a primary concern for your retail business.
Why are most retail businesses concerned? ORC costs the retail industry about $30 billion each year, according to the 2016 Organized Retail Crime Survey, an annual survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF).
Moreover, the problem is growing. For the first time, 100 percent of the retailers surveyed by the NRF said they have been victims of organized retail crime, up from 97 percent in 2015. In addition, 83 percent of the retailers surveyed reported an increase in ORC year-over-year. Read more →
In episode 2 of our Loss Prevention Podcast Series, National Retail Federation’s Vice President of Loss Prevention, Bob Moraca, speaks about his take on organized retail crime, loss prevention strategies and how retailers can prepare themselves for the chaos and potential hazards of the upcoming Black Friday shopping mania.
Whether springing forward or falling back, Daylight Saving Time is the perfect opportunity for a home safety seasonal checkup. Here’s a quick checklist.
Being a working parent is never easy. Now that school is about to start, you’re probably doing some extra worrying about how to make sure your children are safe at home until you get back from work.
The truth is, no matter how sensible you think your kids are, you are still going to worry about them. If leaving your kids home alone is your only option, there are steps you can take to keep them safe.
If your child will be home alone after school you should:
