Traveling with friends and family is often a highlight of the summer! But we need to be aware that Identity Theft while on vacation can ruin it all!
Although summertime is a time to relax, vacationers can be a sandbox of fun for Identity thieves who know you may have your guard down. While you stay on a budget the bad guys are living their best lives with an all-inclusive view into your world and finances.
Here are a few things to remember before you kick back!
- Clean out our wallet: Only take the forms of payment you need. If you have your purse or wallet stolen it is easier to remember what cards you have and quicker to limit your exposure.
- Public WiFi: open access WiFi is never a good idea period. Open WiFi while on vacation is a bad idea because it is exactly the environment the bad guys are looking to exploit. We strongly suggest using a VPN while on any network that is not yours! READ MORE HERE: Public WiFi is Putting You at Risk
- Social Media: This one is hard! We all want to share our fun with the world, naturally. You also tell the world you are not at home, and how long you will be away in many cases. Never a good idea.
- Put your mail on hold: arrange to have all important documents delivered electronically. Additionally, contact the post office to place a hold on your mail.
- Check bank accounts and credit cards: be aware of charges and amounts you have on your accounts and cards. You can also set up alerts to let you know when certain spending or account limits are met.
- Use hotel safes: Place anything that has personal information on it that you don’t need in the room safe. This way it isn’t on your person and reduces the risk of it being lost.
- Protect your phone: it seems like we should not have to say this but if you do not have a password or biometrics on your phone, set it up before you go
We can’t say this will eliminate identity theft while on vacation or any other time. However, we can say these are always great practices to follow. So before you set sails, do what you can to reduce your risks of Identity theft while on vacation.
