PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. (CBS 58) – Shoppers lined up at the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlet Mall Thanksgiving night to get a head start on holiday shopping.

Long lines surrounded stores at the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets as hundreds started their Black Friday shopping after Thanksgiving dinner Thursday night.

“We'll definitely walk it off and burn calories,” Shopper Hinal Patel said. “It’s always nice to be here with friends and shop together.”

Experts say 71 percent of Americans are expected to hunt for gifts this holiday weekend. Some people pushed off their Thanksgiving dinner to get the deals.

“We skip out on the feast, come here and do the feast on Saturday and watch football,” Shopper Shiv Patel said.

But, as shoppers are in full force this weekend, scammers are stepping up their attacks. Personal finance experts said you can protect yourself by:

• freezing your credit
• frequently checking your online bank account
• running a credit report at the end of the year

The Plesant Praire Premiere Outlets close at 12 a.m. Friday, and re-open at 6 a.m.