With the holiday season upon us, the Gahanna Division of Police wants to ensure that citizens have a happy and safe holiday.  One of the best ways to do that is to be on guard and to be vigilant while shopping.  

Below are a few tips to think about when shopping:

* Keep all purses and bags zipped and snapped closed.
* Do not flash large amounts of cash when paying for merchandise.
* If using a debit card, keep the card close to your body so the card number will not be able to be photographed by a cell phone.
* Shop with a friend, you are less of a target when you have someone with you.
* If you have to take a phone call or text message-don't let your guard down and get distracted while shopping.
* Let someone know where you are going and what time you may be returning.
* If using a shopping cart, try to secure your purse or bags with the child locking mechanism.
* Do not carry large amounts of merchandise at one time.
* Do not carry your social security card or birth certificate in your wallet or purse.
* Carry only minimum amount of credit cards at one time.
* If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, contact the police department or the store security officer.
* Report any suspicious people to store security, customer service or 911.
* Keep children secure in a stroller or shopping cart at all times. Do not allow your children to wonder.
* Speak with your children about a plan if you were separated while shopping.
* Make sure your car is in good working order and your cell phone is charged.

Protect Yourself Against Assault, Robbery, and "Snatching":
* Before leaving home, make sure your cell phone is charged and your car is in working condition.
* Keep your cell phone on your person instead of your bag or purse so that if someone does take your purse, you still have your phone to call for help.
* When you are out shopping or jogging, have someone with you at all times.
* When you go shopping, make frequent trips to your vehicle to unload shopping bags into your vehicle. This will prevent you from having your arms full of bags when you are done shopping.  If possible, place items out of sight in a trunk or glove compartment.
* Park in a well-lit parking lot.
* Always lock your doors whether you are driving or not.
* When returning to your car, look under, in and around your car while approaching it.
* Be aware of your surroundings. When you are in a building, know where your exits are located as well as how you will plan to escape if needed.
* Do not leave valuables in plain view in your car.
* Be suspicious and aware by nature. If you get a gut feeling that something is not right, then act on your instinct.
* Be confident and look people in the eyes. If you do this, you are more likely to dissuade an attacker from attacking you. You will be able to give identifying characteristics of the person.
 

Also, the Gahanna PD wants to remind citizens to be on the lookout for cyber scams:

* Hot Holiday Gifts: Have you ever seen Internet advertisements for those gift deals that seem too good to be true? They probably seem too good to be true because they are. If that ipad mini, Keurig, or iphone is listed for a price that looks unreasonably low, it might be a fraudulent item, a knock off, or a way for cyber criminals to get your banking information.

* Bogus Gift Cards: Be wary of purchasing gift cards through mobile devices or third parties. Phishing emails, contests, social media advertisements, and auctions sites all offer free gift cards that can be faulty. Also, verify whether or not a gift card has been tampered with and that nothing was scratched off of its backside.

* Charity Scams: Some emails solicit donations for charity, but it is important to confirm that these messages are from legitimate organizations. Charity scams occur more frequently after natural disasters and during national holidays. One signal to look for when avoiding holiday charity scams is timers. If a website gives you a time limit to enter personal data or uses other methods to coerce you into make quick decisions, you might be dealing with cyber criminals.

* E-cards: Watch out for those messages that look like friendly greetings from Mom! Some holiday e-cards contain malicious code. Investigate before clicking on links or downloading anything from e-cards.

* Social Media Scams: One of the most popular methods to hack private, electronic data is via social media outlets. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have "malvertisements," which are ads that containing malicious links. Unsolicited requests could potentially be cyber criminals attempting to obtain more of your information.

* Phishing & Smishing: Phishing emails are fake messages sent out by cyber scammers that attempt to collect your personal and financial information. A few indicators signaling that a message is phishing email are: 1) a generic greeting such as "Dear User" rather than your name; 2) requests for personal/financial details; 3) email attachments; and 4) spelling errors. Alternatively, smishing is phishing via SMS messages and texting. Smishing text messages often contain a URL address or phone number, and the phone number usually leads to an automated answering system. Just remember, avoid opening attachments to any suspicious-looking emails or texts.

Finally, remember what Chief Dennis Murphy always says, "If you see something, say something." If you witness suspicious activity or crime occurring in your neighborhood, contact the Gahanna Police Department at 614.342.4240.  Happy Holidays from the Gahanna Division of Police!

 

 

The 2015 Winter Survival Guide is here! Beginning next week you may pick up your copy of the guide at Gahanna City Hall or at select area businesses including the Ohio Herb Education Center, the Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau, various restaurants and childcare facilities throughout the city. 

 

Get active and stay well this winter with select yoga classes or herb education programs. Kids can stay active too with Herbal Exploration, Youth Theater & Acting, JumpBunch Sports and Fitness, Jump Start programs, Engineering for Kids and Winter Camp with our Camp Friendship staff.

Program registration is easy. Click here to learn more or call 614-342-4250. 

 

Upcoming Event:

Summer Camp Registration Day

Saturday, February 28, 2015

9am-12pm

Gahanna City Hall  

 December 17, 2014

City Council invites Gahanna residents to join them for the last "Coffee with Council," of the year.  The meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. at:

Donatos

1391 E. Johnstown Rd.

Gahanna, OH  43230
 

This informal public meeting is designed to engage citizens about important issues impacting the city.
 

City of Gahanna 

200 South Hamilton 

Gahanna, OH 43230

614.342.4000

614.342.4100 Fax

Hours of Operation 

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

M-F 

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