Families have planned and are gearing up to hit the road this busy holiday season. Many are heading to friends and relatives homes, on vacation or going on an exciting ski trip. And let’s not forget how often we head to the malls and stores to finish up all our holiday shopping.
The holidays are a stressful busy time and with identity thieves it can be even more trying. Instead of worrying about a ruined holiday, follow these safety travel tips to safeguard your identity and personal information, and not become a victim of identity theft.
- Alert your credit card companies and bank. You should alert them that you are traveling as banks may limit access to fund when they see unusual activity, such as unexpected travel, on your bank account.
- Write down important phone numbers. Before leaving for holiday travel make sure to write down emergency phone numbers such as bank and credit card contacts. These will be useful should your cards go missing.
- Lock up valuables in hotel safes. Hotels offer guests a safe to use to keep valuables safe. If you are unsure on how to use them or have never used one, ask the front desk to send someone up and show you how they work. It’s worth the 5 minutes it takes to safeguard your valuables and ensure you bring them home with you after your trip.
- Password Protect. While waiting for your flight or travels to begin, setup a password on your laptop and smart phone. This makes your personal details (such as applications or email) less likely to be compromised should either get stolen.
- Keep your wallet and purse safe. When going through airport security, make sure to put your wallet into a bag rather than leaving it exposed in a bin. Thieves can easily grab an unguarded wallet from the security line. And if traveling by train and you decide you need a nap, hide your purse or wallet under your body. Many people can walk by you while you sleep on a train, so it is safer to hide your valuables from strangers.
- Designate a meeting spot. Many will be traveling in groups, be sure designate both a meeting spot and meeting time before separating from your travel companions. If anyone in your group fails to appear, this can be a warning sign that they are lost or in danger.
You can find more tips by playing the LifeLock for Life Sweepstakes where fabulous prizes are up for grabs. Also by enrolling in a LifeLock plan, they can help protect your personal information and receive alerts when your personal information may have been used. Get peace of mind and allow LifeLock to protect you from identity theft, before it happens.
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Disclosure:I am a Lifelock brand ambassador and am being compensated for my time in bringing you helpful tips to keep you safe. All opinions 100% my own
These are VERY helpful tips – I really think it is a great idea to notify your bank before your trip!
I’ve thought about that before with the sleeping on a plane. I’m a paranoid kind of person. I didn’t realize you could heads up your accounts that you’ll be traveling!
I hadn’t thought about the sleeping bit either. Usually I travel with my family though so I know someone always has an eye on my valuables.
Thank you for sharing these awesome tips!
Gretips for next time I go on a trip!
These are all good tips! I don’t know that I’ve ever been at a hotel that had a safe, that’s a great idea.
Those are great tips. I always use the hotel room safe and get so annoyed when they are small or there isn’t one. It should be mandatory in every room I’d think.
These are some really great holiday travel tips, Nichol. Thanks for sharing.
Those are all such great tips! It really is important to take precautions when traveling.
Awesome tips. We only pretty much only go to Disney World with the kiddos every year, but we always have a meeting spot in case someone gets separated. It’s better to plan ahead in case something actually does happen!