Packing your bags and your ID – identity theft travel tips
Whether you're planning a trip across the country or around the world, review the following tips before you leave to help protect your identity and plan for a worry free vacation.
Guard against mix-ups
Call your credit card issuers to notify them before you leave on a vacation, especially if you are travelling outside Canada. If your banks and card issuers know you are travelling, they are less likely to put a fraud alert on your account or mistakenly block your access to the account when charges from unusual locations appear.
Make photocopies of important documents
Having copies of your credit cards, driver's licence and passport will make the replacement process much faster if you lose something important while travelling. Keep a list of emergency contacts, including the phone numbers of your doctor, banks and family members. Leave a set of these documents at home with a friend and store one in a separate piece of luggage.
Keep an eye on your identity
While you're using your credit card in unknown places and letting the mail pile up at home, identity thieves have more opportunities to get a peek at your private information. Guard against fraud by asking the Post Office to put a vacation hold on your mail. Stop delivery of newspapers until you return. Check the activity on your financial statements and your credit profile closely when you return to make sure your accounts haven't been compromised.
Things to leave at home
Do not carry personal documents, such as your social insurance number, unless you know you will need them for your trip. Keep them safe. Leave your cheques at home in a secure place.
Use the hotel safe
Lock up all valuables in room safes or hotel safes while you are out of your room. That includes laptops, personal handheld devices, jewellery, passports, and other documents that contain personal identifying information or that would be of interest to a thief. A suitcase is not a secure place to lock up information. You might return to your room to find the suitcase has been picked open or taken.
In the restroom
Avoid hanging your purse from a hook on the back of a door. It is too easy for someone to reach over the top of the door and take it before you have time to react. The best place to store your purse while in the restroom is beside you or hung around your body.
Watch over your shoulder
Pickpockets can be found in most major cities and tend to focus on high traffic areas that attract business or vacation travellers. These professionals depend on the fact that you are not paying attention to anything but what you are doing. In fact, they may cause distractions (as a team) using animals, flower vendors, children, or even asking for directions. Vacation travellers should use fanny packs (preferably ones that open with a Velcro fastener and not a zipper) or travel pouches that are worn inside your shirt.
Do you have a plan in place in the event that your identity is compromised?
Investigate your options:
Contact us to add OTIP's Identity Theft Expense Endorsement to your property insurance policy. For a small annual fee, this endorsement offers protection against the growing risk of identity theft.