Page 21 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – January/February 2020

Traveling?
Take These Identity Protection Tips Along
Whether you’re hitting the highway or taking flight, it’s essential to take precautions to help protect your identity before, during and after your trip.
Before Your Trip
1. Clear your wallet or purse. Only carry what you need for the trip, such as your driver’s license, passport, and essential credit and debit cards.
2. Notify your financial providers about your trip so they won’t decline your card for suspected fraudulent activity.
3. Check your credit report. This will help you spot suspicious changes when you return.
4. Hold your mail. The U.S. Postal Service can hold your mail for up to 30 days. It also offers Informed Delivery, which scans your mail and emails you images. When you return, you can check for missing items.
5. Pay your bills to avoid exposing sensitive personal information online while traveling.
During Your Trip
1. Avoid public Wi-Fi; it’s easy to hack. If you must use it, don’t share any sensitive personal information while on the network.
2. Safeguard your boarding pass. Boarding passes reveal a lot of personal information, including your full name and travel destination. Use mobile tickets when possible, but if you use paper, upon landing, rip it into pieces or store it safely until you get home.
3. Secure important documents. Store your passport and other vital documents in your hotel safe. For added security, record your passport and credit card details for all travel companions in case your wallet is lost or stolen.
4. Avoid remote ATMs. Such devices may have skimmers attached or cameras that can capture your withdrawal data.
5. Don’t overshare on social media. Wait until you return to post your memories. Don’t advertise that you’re away; it alerts criminals.
After You Return
1. Check your credit report, bank and credit card accounts for unexpected changes.
2. Change your passwords, mainly if you accessed important accounts on public internet while away.
3. Consider ProtectMyID®. At home, and especially on-the-go, AAA’s exclusive member benefit helps
keep a watchful eye on your personal information.
You can take the first step to protect your identity
with the Essential plan. However, with ID theft on the rise and nearly one billion records exposed in 2018 alone1, also offered are Deluxe and Platinum plans
with powerful identity monitoring features to give you more peace of mind. Learn more at AAA.com/IDTheft.
1 Identity Theft Resource Center, 2018 End-of-Year Report
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TRAVELER’S GUIDE
Photo: Shutterstock: Matej Kastelic