Outsmart Identity Thieves (Part One)

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It used to be that the only thing you had to worry about while traveling was getting mugged or getting pickpocketed.  Technology is such a wonderful thing but criminals have learned how to use it against you every single day.  When you travel, you are even more vulnerable.  So how do you protect yourself against Identity Theft while traveling?  While nothing is 100% secure, there are things you can do to lessen the risk of your identity being stolen while you travel.  In this two-part blog, we will cover some of the best suggestions we have found for protecting your identity while on vacation.

 

Leave the extras at home.  What?  We carry so much with us these days that really isn’t necessary when we travel.  I tend to take one credit card, my driver’s license, and my passport.  That’s it.  I take a very small travel wallet and leave everything else at home.  I also call my credit card company and let them know where I am going to be when I travel and what my travel dates are.  If you are staying stateside, you should probably carry your insurance card but everything else can stay at home.

 

Keep your documents secure.  I know this sounds a little simplistic, but you just never know.  When in your hotel room, no matter where that might be, keep your documents secure.  If you don’t want to carry them with you, put them in the room safe.  Your room doesn’t have a safe?  Well then, you need to read my other blog about carrying duct tape with you.  Tape your valuables to the bottom side of the bed.

 

Be highly cautious when using shared or public internet connections.  When traveling it is almost impossible to have a secure private connection but you can still use the internet.  Be sure you are using sites that have been encrypted.  Look for that ever so important link that has the “https” in the heading.  That little “s” makes all the difference in the world.  That “s” lets you know that the site is encrypted giving you a layer of protection against hackers.

 

If you do use an internet café or a public device that is not your own, be smart and delete your browser history and any cookies that you might have left behind.  You never know who is going to get on that machine behind you and steal whatever they can.

 

I personally have never done this, I just learned about it myself, but when you travel have a dedicated travel only email address.  Why?   (This is the best piece of information that I have seen in a while)  Because you don’t have any personal information or history on the travel email address!  If you are sending business emails over a public (hotel/airport) internet connection, you are asking for trouble.  If they hack that account, your information is gone and possibly others information as well.  Use an account that you do not use or store personal information.  If it gets hacked, they don’t really get much.

 

For more tips and tricks for your next vacation, be sure to read part two of our two-part blog tomorrow.  We will have even more ideas for keeping your identity safe while traveling. You can also contact us or read our blogs about travel tips on our website.  We take your vacation seriously and want to help you create memories of a lifetime.