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Holiday Safety

The Raleigh Police Department has some advice to stay safe during the holiday season.

First, ideas for all those package deliveries:

  • Require a signature for the package.
  • Have it delivered to your work location.
  • Set and monitor delivery service tracking (you get an alert when a package is set to be delivered, so you can have someone pick it up.
  • Have it delivered to a friend or family member (someone who is home during the day.)
  • Designate a specific delivery location (you can authorize the delivery service to leave the package somewhere other than the front porch, ie. back porch, side door, garage, or with a neighbor.
  • Have the package delivered to a UPS store.
  • Install a webcam (it may not prevent a package from being stolen, buy could identify the guilty party.)
  • Ask a neighbor to check your front door frequently on a day when you know a package will come.

Here are a few tips to keep yourself safe when buying or selling items through apps like Craigslist, Letgo, OfferUp, and others.

  • Meet in a public place during the daytime - a police department parking lot is ideal.
  • Do not go alone. Take someone with you if available.
  • If purchasing tickets to a concert or show, check with the venue first to make sure the seats exist.
  • If purchasing something large for a lot of money, meet at the bank and have them run the money through their machine to make sure it's real.
  • Set up an email address to use for online sales only. Don't give out personal information.
  • You control the meeting. Only accept cash payment, don't take partial payments or agree to anything other than what was expected. Hand over merchandise only after you receive payment.
  • Ask for ID, get a vehicle description and license tag number, don’t let anyone inside to use the bathroom if you have to meet at your home, and meet where you want.