Are you planning to travel this holiday season?
Perhaps you’ve thought about and prepared for bad weather and flight delays, but have you considered that 20 percent of travelers have had a driver’s license, credit card, passport or other personal document lost or stolen while traveling?
Don’t let identity theft ruin your holidays. Following these simple tips can help to protect your personal information:
Use Common Sense
If you have a secure internet connection, check your recent card purchases periodically to be sure there are no unauthorized purchases. Make sure your phone is password protected from someone accessing banking apps or virtual wallets. If you get a call from the front desk needing to verify your card information, call them back or visit them in person to be sure the call is legitimate. And try to avoid posting your social media until you return home. It’s never a good idea to give thieves additional personal information.
Be Cyber-Aware
We are in an era of cyber theft, but somehow still forget to use protection from virtual attacks. If you’re using an unsecure connection on a trip, anything you type or access could be fair game for others. Always use a secure connection or be very careful what you access on public computers or wifi hotspots. Even on secure connections, be sure to clear any stored information and log out of accounts.
Be Skeptical
Have a dose of skepticism and wear important documents in a way that would be difficult for strangers to access. Don’t take any documentation you don’t need. This means leaving your social security card, checkbook and receipts at home and taking a limited number of credit cards. To add an extra layer of security, use an RFID-blocker in your wallet to prevent someone from stealing information from the chip in your card. Never leave items lying around your hotel room and remember that even hotel safes and ATMs may not be that safe, so consider checking important items in a front desk safe box or only using ATMs in banks.
Insure
Identity restoration coverage can be very helpful if you do happen to have your identity stolen while traveling. A fraud specialist may alert credit card companies of possible fraud or reimburse you for the costs of restoring your credit history or identity. Contact your agent to find out what options are available for you.
We hope this information will help you better protect yourselves against threats this holiday season.
Please contact your local branch with any questions concerning identity theft. We are here to help!
Lincoln Savings Bank
LSB Insurance, a Lincoln Savings Bank company. Not FDIC insured, no bank guarantee, may lose value, not a deposit, not insured by any Federal Government Agency.
