- Image by “SIR: Poseyal : KNIGHT of the DESPOSYNI via Flickr
Taking a vacation is supposed to be a way to relax and get away from it all. When we want to enjoy some down time and forget our worries, we opt to take a trip and enjoy some stress free time. But, if you are not careful, a vacation can turn into a nightmare if your identity is stolen while you are on the road.
How can you avoid an identity theft fiasco? Never leave any documents or personal identification cards in checked luggage. Keep it on your person at all times. This way no one can open your luggage undetected and make off with your ID while you are still on a flight, wreaking havoc before you even land.
Don’t dispose of important documents in trash receptacles in hotel rooms or other public areas where the information can easily be picked up and used. Believe it or not, thieves intent on identitiy theft gain more information from just picking through the trash where information is often readily accessible.
Before you travel with a computer, clear all your cookies, caches and recent history. This way should your computer be lost or accessed during your travels, you won’t have passwords and logins saved and automatically filled in for a potential identity theft to occur that much easier.
If you are accessing the Internet via a public WiFi system, never use credit cards to make transactions. Wait until you are on a secure private network so you don’t risk having your credit card information captured. Likewise, don’t leave valuables, including computers or cell phones, in hotel rooms. Use the hotel safe to lock up your items and help protect yourself against identity theft, or carry the items with you.
If you use an ATM, look for any unusual devices that could be attached to the machine and used to capture your credit card number. Trust your gut instinct. If something looks suspect, avoid it and go elsewhere. It’s not worth the risk. Common sense is one of your best overall protections against identitiy theft.
