Myrtle Beach Police share safety tips for Cyber Monday shoppers

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - From clothes to electronics, millions of shoppers are taking advantage of Cyber Monday Deals and kicking off the Holiday season.

The National Retail Federation is expecting 166 million Americans to have shopped between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, trying to get the best Holiday deals.

In the midst of the shopping, Myrtle Beach Police Department is warning shoppers, that their purchases are vulnerable and desirable to thieves.

Myrtle Beach Police MCpl. Tom Vest said to know when your packages are arriving.

“If you are expecting for big items to arrive at your house, have somebody pick them up for you,” said Vest. “If you’ve got a doorbell alarm, make sure that’s set. Make sure you know when things are arriving, so they’re not sitting on your porch all day.”

Vest said both online scams and thefts increase during the holidays.

Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day of the year. Sales are expected to surpass this year’s Black Friday sales, which, according to experts, were the highest on record.

As people are making purchases police are warning you all to avoid sharing any details about what you buy or plan on buying, even on social media.

Vest said this opens up the opportunity for thieves to target your home.

“You know if you put the box out for your brand new TV and your new laptop and then you post on social media that you’re going to be out of town for a week, it really advertises that those items may be in your house and unattended,” said Vest.

Vest added to overall, be aware when doing any Holiday shopping. He said to report any suspicious activity to the Myrtle Beach Police Department.

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