Stay Safe When Traveling

Wallets & Purse. Don’t take anything in your purse or wallet that is not absolutely necessary. Leave all cards with Social Security Numbers on them at home. If necessary, make a photocopy of a health card, cut off the last 4 numbers of the Social Security Number from the photocopy, and carry that with you. Make sure that you have an emergency phone number (contact person) for emergency medical personnel to use. 

Make your home look lived in. Arrange for friends or family you trust to pick up newspapers, mail, and advertisement flyers in order to avoid drawing attention to your home. This will reduce the risk of break-ins which may result in the loss of valuables, including your identity.  Nothing says “we’re out of town” more than a pile of newspapers. Don’t forget to stop delivery until you return. Also stop any other automatic deliveries, such as bottled water.

Neighbors, relatives, and house-sitters. If you have someone that is going to check the house and has a key to your house, then lock up any documents with account numbers or Social Security Numbers.

Scan important travel documents and store them in a secure online repository. In the event that your information is lost or stolen, using an online repository allows you to easily access copies of your passport, driver's license, visa, and any other vital identification from anywhere in the world. Remember to do this for every person traveling with you, including children.

Minimize the number of credit cards in a wallet. No more than two (2).

Make copies. Including your itinerary, passport data page, visas, and driver’s license to leave with a designated emergency contact.

Notify a neighbor to watch your house. Let them know you are not moving.

ATM Machines. Consider restricting the use of your ATM card to securely located Automated Teller Machines. Fake ATM machines are known to have been placed in high-traffic tourist areas. Debit cards also provide thieves with a direct pipeline to your bank accounts. When used with a PIN, you need not sign for the purchase. When used for a "credit" purchase with a signature, no confirming PIN is needed.

Watch Out for Skimming Technology.  Thieves can tamper with point-of-sale machines through an illegal practice called skimming. If the machine at a gas station or ATM looks suspicious, let an employee know and seek an alternative place to withdraw money.  When typing in your PIN, cover the screen with your other hand to keep someone from looking over your shoulder and stealing the digits.

Never leave your personal documents unsecured in the hotel rooms. This rule specifically applies to global travel security where certain passports may be valuable. Lock up all valuables in room safes or hotel safes while you are out of your room. That includes laptops, PDAs, jewelry, passports, and other documents that contain personal identifying information or that would be of interest to a thief. A suitcase is not a secure way to lock up information.

Beware of pickpockets. While pickpocketing has been on the decline in the U.S. for the past fifty years or so, it’s still a major problem in Europe. Pickpockets often work in groups, are often children, and are typically well-dressed.  Be extra vigilant around tourist attractions, public transportation, restaurants, bars, and hotel lobbies.

Carry valuables safely. Your valuables and identification are a mere swipe away from a purse snatcher or pickpocket. Money belts kept under clothing are the safest. For stowing cash, credit cards, and identification, inside pockets and sturdy shoulder bags with straps across the chest are much better than handbags, fanny packs, or outside pockets.

Shoulder surfers. Besides pickpockets, identity thieves take advantage of people via shoulder surfing. "Shoulder Surfing" used to only apply to those who looked "over your shoulder" to see the information. With the common use of cell phones, it is important to remember that you are in a public venue and may talk about things that a thief can use.

Beware of your surroundings. when using your secret codes to access cash at ATMs, use your debit card at stores where you have to enter a PIN, access your personal or business laptop computer in public areas like airports, send e-mails, or access your voicemails, beware of your surroundings and the eyes looking over your shoulders. 

Take caution with public computers and Wi-Fi. If possible, avoid using public computers to access anything sensitive, such as conducting online banking, making purchases, or accessing email accounts. These computers could potentially have malware that is designed to capture the information you have entered. Avoid these same activities when using a public Wi-Fi connection as the information can easily be captured by criminals on the same connection. Make sure to use an encrypted Internet connection whenever you go online.

Be aware of social media updates. We all like to share photos online with our family and friends as we are traveling. However, when you tell people where you are, you are also telling them where you are not – at home.