Spring is for Travel

Take advantage of warmer weather, smaller crowds, and lower, off-peak prices when you plan your travel this spring. One more way you can protect your finances is to take a few simple precautions before you go. One in 10 travelers has fallen victim to identity theft, according to the 2015 Experian Summer Travel and Budgeting Survey Report.

Because travelling puts you at risk for identity theft, you need to take steps to counter thieves before you even leave the house. Read on for five easy steps you can take to avoid identity theft before and during your vacation. 

Use your credit card to book travel.Credit card companies are seamlessly tied into the credit agencies, which makes cleaning up any fraud a lot easier. Additionally, many cards offer travel insurance as a cardholder benefit, which can really come in handy if things go wrong during your trip.

Call your bank and credit card issuers before you leave. Take a few minutes and tell the financial institutions you do business with that you’re going away. This can help prevent the inconvenience of a locked card during your trip, and assist agents to untangle unauthorized purchases that might result from it.

Make it look like you’re still at home.Thieves love an empty house, so camouflage your absence. Pause your newspaper and mail deliveries, and think about putting your lights on a timer. Have your grass mowed.

Take only what you need. You will almost certainly not need your Social Security card while you’re abroad, so just leave it at home. The same goes for extra credit cards and other documents. That way, if something does go wrong, there will be fewer items to replace and less to resolve later. 

Wait until you’re home to put it on Facebook. We all know people who “live out loud” on Facebook, posting pictures of every cup of coffee or plate of spaghetti they come across. But even sharing innocuous pictures while you’re away can alert a thief that you’re not at home. Post your pictures after you get home to avoid potential problems. 

While travel does open up potential avenues of identity theft and fraud, if you take precautions you can lessen many of the risks. Make these tips part of your pre-vacation routine, and not only will you be better protected, you’ll enjoy your trip that much more.

Learn more about how AAA can help protect Members from identity theft by visiting AAA.com/IDTheft.

The content of this article is for informational purposes only. AAA does not guarantee any particular outcome.