When you're travel, you're more susceptible to identity theft of all kind, including identity theft. You have to carry certain documents with you when you travel, so it is important to take precautions to keep your information safe. Let's talk about a few tips you can use to prevent identity theft no matter how far you are from home:
- Secure your belongings before you leave. If you have a housesitter or there's a break-in, you want your social security card and other information to be as safe as possible.
- Make copies of the important documents you're carrying with you and give them to a trusted friend or family member who is staying back home.
- Use the room safe at your hotel to hold anything with identifying information when you're out and about. Don't carry your passport and other important documents in your wallet.
- Don't show your information to anyone who doesn't absolutely need it. Sometimes, hotels, stores, and other tourist destinations ask for things like your phone number, email address, or zip code, but unless they legally need it, don't give it out or write it so that people can't overhear.
- Avoid applying for store cards while on vacation. You don't want to say or even write down your social security card if you don't have to, especially when in a situation where people are looking for vulnerable tourists.
- Keep documents with you while flying. Of course you'll need your ID and passport with you in order to fly in the first place, but if you're carrying anything else, like papers for business, make sure they're on your person, not in checked luggage.
- Remember that your kids' identities are just as vulnerable as your own. In fact, for those who sell identities, they are even more valuable.
- Don't log into any secure sites when you're traveling. The Internet at your hotel, at airports, and at Internet cafés is not secure enough to ward off attacks from those who know their way around a computer your personal information could be stolen.
There's no need to be scared when you travel; just be cautious. Identity thieves, like any other type of thief out there, want easy targets, so as long as make an effort to keep your information safe, you should be able to enjoy your vacation or travel for business without incident.
This guest post is from Allison with IdentityTheft.net, where you can learn more about protecting your personal information and avoiding identity theft.
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