Online shopping continues to gain more and more popularity, but there are still those who prefer shopping in person.

Whether shopping in person or online it is important to protect yourself against scams and thieves. Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves says thieves will take advantage of online shopping and follow delivery services as they drop off packages along their routes. He says rather than having a package shipped to a home, ship it to a workplace or somewhere someone else can accept it. In addition to making sure packages are secure, it's important to take steps to reduce the risk of scams and in-person thefts.

Sheriff Groves says don't carry or flash large amounts of cash, don't leave valuables in vehicles, secure packages in the trunk, make sure vehicles and homes are locked, report any suspicious activity, monitor credit card accounts and don't hesitate to ask a store employee to walk to a vehicle. Also, never give out bank information, social security numbers, confirm addresses or give any other personal information to someone calling you, even if they claim to be with a bank, a government agency or a familiar business.