Cheap Holidays: Safeguarding Yourself from Identity Theft

by EgyptTripAdviser on December 13, 2011


Today, packages that promise cheap holidays have enabled individuals of all income levels to travel around the globe. That is good news for a nation’s tourism. But the influx of visitors also provides people who have malicious, unscrupulous intentions a lot of opportunities to do their nefarious deeds. It’s not only cash that they are after, but also tourist’s; identities.

Identity theft is a feared crime since it enables criminals to invade one’s privacy. Thankfully, this can easily be prevented. If you are a traveler on cheap holidays to another country, you can protect your privacy by following these tips:

1. Avoid making your vacation plans public. Simply, avoid broadcasting your vacation plans. The details that you share on social networking sites, forums, and other venues can be seen by anyone. Even if you engaged your accounts’ privacy setting, there is always a chance that a hacker can break the safeguards of your accounts. Just think: you would not want to place an “away on vacation” sign on your front door while you are away, would you?

2. Open your wallet and remove documents that can reveal your identity in case your wallet is stolen. Examples of such documents include your social security card, credit cards, birth certificate, and others. Keep these important documents in a safe location. It is also a great idea to photocopy all remaining documents in your wallet.

3. When you are away for cheap holidays, before leaving your house, ask the post office or a trusted neighbor to accept and hold your mail for you. Mailed documents that are left in an unlocked mailbox can attract identity thieves like candlelight that attracts moths. In addition, the pileup can send a signal to potential burglars that no one is at home.

4. If you are bringing your tablet with you and you plan to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, be extra careful. That’s because many Wi-Fi zones are unsecured and unencrypted. In addition, you need to realize that key loggers (software that can monitor your keystrokes) may track you.

5. Leave documents that contain personal information in the hotel’s safety deposit box. Don’t leave them unattended in your hotel room.

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