This post was generously underwritten by Lifelock for covering stories about helping protect yourself from identity theft. As always my comments and opinions are my own.
The warm summer months are in full swing and you just may be planning one more big vacation before the new school year starts. If so, take just a few minutes to check out these 10 tips for helping protect yourself, your privacy and your property while on vacation:
Update Your Status Afterward
I know, I know, I’ve mention this many times before. But it won't hurt to mention it again. Try to avoid announcing your vacation to your social media friends and followers ahead of time. It’s like a neon sign on your house reading, “Enter Now, Nobody will be Home for a Week.” The only difference is more people will see it on social media than if it were on your house.
Call your Bank and Credit Card Company Ahead of Time
Letting your bank know to expect some charges on your card from Fiji, or wherever you are headed, may help keep your card from being frozen for suspicious activity while you’re thousands of miles from home.
Monitor Accounts
Make sure to check your accounts to see if everything looks right as soon as you get home. And let your bank know you are back, in case the charges keep coming from your vacation spot, so they will have a heads up that the charges may not be coming from you.
Mail, Newspaper, Package Delivery
Have a trusted friend, family member, or neighbor pick up your mail, newspapers and packages from your doorstep while you’re gone. The key word is trusted. Keep in mind that identity theft can come from friends and family, too.
Purge Your Wallet
Avoid carrying unnecessary credit cards and other documents on your trip. If your wallet is stolen, there will be fewer contacts to make and you are much more likely to remember what was in there since you just cleaned it out.
Photograph Your Luggage
If your luggage is lost it will help you describe it to the airline and may help them identify it faster. Photographing the tag will help confirm it has the correct destination on it.
Password Protect Your Phone
If your phone is stolen, it’s not likely to keep the bad guys out for long, but it may just be long enough to notify important contacts like your carrier of the theft.
Carry Important Phone Numbers
Depending on where you’re headed, if your cell phone is stolen, how easy will it be to remember or find the phone numbers you need to get help? This may include even your own number.
Consider Scanning Important Travel Docs and Emailing them to Yourself
Before anything, make sure your email account has a strong password. If you find yourself having to apply for a new passport, it may help having a copy of the one you lost to speed the process of getting a new one.
For more tips, check out my travel post from last summer.
Want more tips on how to help protect yourself and your identity? Check out the folks at LifeLock, they relentlessly help protect identities every day. Get great information by following them on Google+, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (@LifeLock).
- Creamy Coffee Flan Recipe - May 14, 2024
- Cantaloupe Agua Fresca Recipe - April 30, 2024
- Pineapple Agua Fresca Recipe (Agua de Piña) - April 27, 2024
