Travel Tips
Tips for protecting your identity while traveling
Protecting your identity is more important than ever, especially when you are traveling. Here are a few tips to keep your identity secure and to help ensure a smooth trip.
- Notify your bank and credit card companies of your travel plans.
Many such companies now place freezes on accounts when they see suspicious activity such as out-of-country use as a means to prevent fraud.
- Clean out your wallet before leaving.
Remove receipts and unneeded financial cards, along with anything else you don’t need to carry while traveling.
- Choose cash or credit cards over debit cards.
Travelers are warned of the dangers of carrying around a lot of cash, but some merchants don’t use the safest transaction processes making cash a better method of payment in some instances. Overall, using a credit card is considered safe and is a better option than debit. If your card information is compromised most credit card companies will quickly reverse or cover fraudulent charges, while recovering funds from your drained bank account can be more complicated.
- Be cautious when using ATMs.
Inspect the machine carefully before inserting your card and always shield the keypad when entering your PIN to thwart fraudsters who attach card skimmers to the machine or watch your movements. The safest ATMs are attached to banks in well-lit areas.
- Check your credit card and bank statements often.
It’s best to catch fraud as early as possible to minimize damage and make resolution easier.
- Limit your use of public Wi-Fi as much as possible.
While these networks are very convenient, they are often unsecure. Never access your financial accounts or any other sites that require a password when using public Wi-Fi.
- Keep your phone password-protected.
If you’re not the type to keep a password guard on your phone, make an exception while traveling.
- Change your PINs and passwords after a trip.
This is especially important if you logged into any accounts while on the road or accessed an ATM.
- Properly dispose all trip confirmation emails and boarding passes.
Shred them before tossing them into the recycling bin, as they contain personally identifiable information.