College grads are already out for the summer and the grade school students will be close behind. Vacations are on the horizon. What follows are some gentle reminders while on vacation. Truly, these are best practices all year round. It’s the free feeling of vacation that leads us to want to reinforce common sense when we otherwise tend to let our guards down.
Here are some helpful tips to help reduce your risk of identity theft.
- Be careful with ATMS. It is not difficult to set up a fake ATM. Stick to the ones that are in banks and check it over to make sure it has not been tampered.
- Clean out your wallet. Only take along the credit cards and identity you really need. Leave a photocopy of the front and back of each card at home. This makes it easier to replace if they are lost or stolen.
- Stop your mail. Don’t let your mail build up in your box. The post office will hold it until you return for free.
- Use the hotel safe. While hotel safes are not Fort Knox, they are a better option than keeping it on your person.
- Beware of open Wi-Fi. Try to use networks that require a login and make sure you use encryption when passing any information.
For more on identity theft protection and best practices, please visit www.hvshred.com