ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – With the holiday season upon us, Abilene Police Department (APD) has shared some holiday shopping tips to avoid fraudulent activity.

For individuals:

DO NOT:

  • Leave money or valuables unattended
  • Leave identifying information in plain view
  • Show large amounts of cash
  • Have credit/debit card in the same place as PIN numbers

DO:

  • Have contact information of your financial institution, in the case a card goes missing or other issues
  • Contact your financial institution as soon as possible if you experience fraudulent activity or lose a card
  • Lock your car and house

For Businesses:

DO NOT:

  • Allow customers to control transactions or interrupt normal processes
  • Leave cash unattended within reach of others

DO:

  • Verify identification of the customer and/or cards used
  • Take caution with larger sales
  • Be aware of quick change scams
  • Perform money counts and money drops often
  • Verify the legitimacy of money and be cautious of replica money, such as motion picture money or cash from outside the U.S.
Courtesy of Abilene Police Department

According a press release, fraudulent activity increases around this time of year, so Abilene police want to remind the public how to decrease the risk of becoming a victim of fraud.