With the holidays coming up it is important to keep personal safety in mind when shopping. The Elmhurst Police Department would like to advise residents this season to be smart when shopping with the following safety tips:

• Shop during the day if possible, but if you go at night bring a friend. Only bring necessary cash, cards, and identification and do not leave your purse or bags unattended.
• When placing shopping bags in your vehicle, put them in the trunk where they are out of sight. Be sure to remember to lock your vehicle when entering stores.
• Be cautious of strangers approaching you for any reason. Con artists will try to distract you with the intention of taking money/ belongings.
• When shopping online, be careful of online scams, there will be plenty of fake bargains so if it sounds too good to be true it probably is! Only make purchases from reputable websites and do research on websites you are unsure about.
• Elmhurst Police would like to remind residents that the safest spot to do an online transaction is the is the Elmhurst Police Department Lobby which is staffed 24 hours a day. 

Have a safe shopping trip by being alert and following these tips!