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PAGE FOUR THE DRYDEN OBSERVER - GIFT GUIDE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008 While the holidays can be a joyous time for adults and children alike, they may also bring a smile to the face of criminals. That's because amid the excitement and confusion of holiday shopping and trav- el, many people leave them- selves susceptible to theft. Willing thieves are waiting in the wings to lighten your hol- iday shopping load. To ensure the holidays will be as. happy as possible and not spoiled by criminals lurk- ing in the shadows, consider these safety and comfort tips. Be Alert and Confident Distraction and the ele- ment of surprise are key tac- tics in any theft scheme. Pick- pockets' favorite places for action are on crowded lines, in elevators, on escalators, and when going through revolving doors. Always be aware of your Holiday shopping and safety tips environment and those around you. Do not shop while talking on a cell phone or while listening to your MP3 player. Keep your eyes and ears open and project a confi- dent and alert posture. Play It Safe There is safety in numbers, so heading to the shopping center with a group of friends or family and sticking togeth- er makes you less of a target. If shopping after dark, always park your car as close to the entry of the store as possible and find a spot that is under a light so the car will be visible and illuminated. If you are bogged down by tons of packages you may not be able to react in the event of a theft. Therefore, space out shopping and deposit your purchases in your car periodi- cally to keep your hands free as much as possible. Remem- ber to keep gifts in the car out of view, so a trunk is the best place for storage. Never flash your money conspicuously and keep your wallet or pocketbook close to your body at all times. If you're paying with cash pri- marily (keep in mind credit and debit cards are safer), it is wise to spread out the money in different pockets or locations on your person. This way if you are robbed, you won't be lifted of all of your cash. Always protect your credit and debit cards as well, and be aware of those around you when making withdrawals from ATM machines. Dress Comfortably Ensure your shopping excursion is as enjoyable as you can make it by dressing SERVING THE NORTHWEST We Offer AZ & DZ Training CouRseS BEGIN MONTHLY Course recognized by the Ministry of Colleges & Universities. Endorsed by local employers. Tuition may be available to El Recipients. In town and highway driving, one to one instruction, weekly and weekend training Confederation 807-223-3035 N COLLEGE in comfortable clothing and shoes. Realize that it may be warm in crowded malls, so wear layers so that you can peel off an outer jacket or sweatshirt if you get warm. Large winter coats can be bulky and cumber- some to carry, so consider leaving them in the car or checking them in if the store offers a coat check. You'll be on your feet as you traverse the stores, so comfortable shoes are an absolute must. A shopping trip can be cut considerably short if the person doing the shopping is wearing the wrong shoes. w Safeguard Children . In busy stores it is easy for: * a child to become separated: from a parent. Teach your chit: dren to go to a store clerk or: security guard if they ever get: separated from.you in a store; and be sure they know their first and last name so they can. tell someone who they are. = Don't let the Web Grinch get. you this holiday season! Keeping your purse and wallet tightly gripped at the mall and making sure your holiday shopping pur- chases are well concealed in your car are just two common sense practices Canadians should do to avoid theft during the holi- days. But what about those virtual pickpockets and hol- ~ iday Grinches who victimize Canadians on the Internet? As the cyber threat land- scape evolves, it's essential for Canadians to take even greater precautions when making purchases over the Internet this holiday sea- son. Internet security expert Symantec recom- mends following these sim- ple tips to keep personal identity protected: e Use an all-in-one Internet security solution to ensure you and your computer are safeguarded from the latest cyber threats. Symantec's Norton 360, for example, provides PC security, identity pro- tection, backup and tune- up services. * Beware of phishing emails, whereby fraudsters randomly send millions of e-mails in an attempt to obtain personal informa- | TIMBERMAX | | 24" $51.95 30" $59.95 36" $61.95 | 6 PANEL FAST-FIT DOOR | 30" $69.99 327 $69.99 36" $79.99 | Door Jamb 1x5x7 Primed FJ Pine -- $3.99 each Primed FJ Pine 2'/," Casing #356 -- .27/LF | Red Oak 2'/." 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This threat typi- cally arrives in your inbox in the form of a joke and prompts you to open an attached file, which may contain a virus, a hidden program that steals your personal information or, even worse, takes over your computer without you even knowing it (this is called a botnet ). ® Consumers should rou- tinely check to see if their PC is vulnerable to threats by using Symantec Securjj Check. Simply go ® WwWw.symante 8» com/securitycheck. The free clean-up tool will pro-. vide a security search of. your computer for online threats and scan for the detection of viruses. Enjoy your time online this holiday season - but take the necessary precau- tions to protect yourself! - News Canada Mulling Spices A Winter Tradition! 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