WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A Winston-Salem mom is warning others after she says a man followed her around a Target store.

The woman posted about her experience online urging people to be aware of their surroundings.

It reportedly happened at the Target on Hanes Mall Boulevard in Winston-Salem on Monday.

The victim called Winston-Salem police after alerting store employees. When an officer arrived, the suspicious person was gone. A police report was filed.

On Thursday, some shoppers told us they would be keeping an eye out.

“I thought this was a safe place, but for someone to follow you inside instead of outside… It’s just pretty scary,” said Xeng Yeng Yang, who lives in Winston-Salem.

Ashley Dawson, another shopper, said she is usually a cautious person, but now she will be even more alert.

“You don’t think it’ll happen to you until it happens to you,” Dawson said.

Officer A. Lazusky, with the Winston-Salem Police Department, heard the call go out on Monday afternoon. He was not at the scene, but said what the victim did was right. People should not confront anyone following them; instead ask for help.

“Stay in a public area,” Lazusky said. “Try to get a hold of an employee. Try to get to customer service. See if they have security on staff. Then, contact the police department. That way we are made aware of these issues and circumstances.”

Lazusky said police receive calls about suspicious people regularly, but they haven’t received a report like this recently.

Someone working with security inside the Target store told us he was not aware of the situation.