The vacation you've saved and planned for is finally here, and you're ready to relax — which is why it's especially bad that identity thieves are ready to go to work. They know that chances are your guard is down, at least a little, making it a perfect time for them to take advantage of that opportunity.
Here are some very real ways you might be putting your identity at risk when you're on vacation:
1. Telling Too Many People
By this we mean — at the very least — Facebook. How many "friends" do you have? And how many do they have? Those check-ins from the airport? Pictures from the cruise? A potential identity thief knows you're not at home. Identity thieves might even know when your plane lands and how long it will be before you come home if they happen to be friends with a friend of a friend of a friend.
2. Not Telling Enough People
While broadcasting your absence from home isn't wise, neither is failing to alert the post office or your credit card issuers that you will be away. Some credit card issuers will view activity in another area or country or geographic area and shut down your card — and that's the last thing you want on vacation. And preapproved credit card offers or card statements isn't something you'd like for someone to be able to simply lift from your unattended mailbox.
3. Using Insecure Public Wi-Fi Networks
Whether you're checking email or (we hope not) uploading photos for Facebook, it's easy to let your excitement get the better of you and forget about basic precautions when using public Wi-Fi. Worse, as long as you're connected, you may be tempted to check credit card activity or the balance in your checking account. If the network you're on isn't secure, you could be taking a big, big risk.
4. Losing Your Mobile Device
You probably just intended to put it down for a second. Your regular routines that keep things from disappearing have been abandoned and … maybe it's in the pocket of a jacket that's at your hotel, or do you think perhaps it slipped under the seat of the rental car you turned in yesterday? Losing a device is bad enough. Losing a device that contains an identity thief's jackpot — email, social media, banking apps, contact lists, photos, etc. — is much worse. And the worst of all possible worlds? Losing a device that's not password-protected and has your open email accounts available for perusal by anyone who picks it up.
5. Being Careless With Sensitive Information
You don't have to have a security clearance to deal daily with sensitive information, and it's easy to leave it lying around. Taking a cruise or staying in a hotel? You may think you don't have sensitive information in your cabin or room if your credit card is with you, but your itineraries, rental car contracts and hotel bills all contain personal data. If someone calls you telling you that you need to pay a bill, don't assume it's legitimate. Either make the call to that company yourself or pay in person. And remember — just because a person is wearing a uniform doesn't necessarily mean they are an employee. Exercise caution. If you are using your own car for vacation, be sure you remove registration paperwork and other personal data from the glovebox before valet parking. Overkill? Perhaps, but it's simpler to do that than to untangle an identity theft mess.