4 rules to make sure you avoid travel thieves
A getaway can be full of sun and fun, but a stolen passport or hacked email account can quickly dampen the experience.
Having personal information compromised while on the road is relatively common. A recent study by ProtectMyID, the identity theft protection unit of credit bureau Experian, found that 20 per cent of consumers have had a driver's license, passport, credit card or other document with personal information lost or stolen while travelling.
Nearly 40 per cent have had their identity stolen or been victimised in some way, or know of someone who did.
Here's what you can do to make sure thieves don't ruin your holiday:
1. Pack sparingly
You may spend a lot of time strategising how to keep your bag light, but experts say just as much care should be taken with your wallet. According to the survey, 47 per cent of travellers do not remove unnecessary credit cards from their wallet before leaving for a trip.
The advice: Bring only the essentials, including a limited number of debit and credit cards. That way, if your wallet is lost or stolen not all of your personal information will be compromised.
2. Use free wi-fi carefully
If you're like me, you probably look for free wi-fi wherever you travel. But be careful when using it, experts say.
"Much of your information will be visible to anyone with the right tools as it moves across the wireless network," said Dave Dean, a world traveller and co-founder of Too Many Adapters, a technology resource for travellers.
The advice: Connect to the web through a virtual private network. A VPN encrypts all of the information that passes between you and a wireless network, wherever that network is in the world.
3. Avoid public computers
The public computer in a hotel may be a nice convenience if you're travelling without your laptop, but by using one you're putting yourself at major risk.
"You just don't know what is installed on that computer," Dean said. Risks include key-logging software that saves your login details, security updates that are not installed, and no or out-of-date antivirus software.
He added: "These are not hypothetical risks. I've seen them myself in internet cafes and hostels around the world."
The advice: If you have no other option but to use a public computer, do so only for the most innocent of reasons, such as researching restaurant options. Do not connect to your online bank account or enter any personal financial information. If you check your email, make sure to reset the password – from a secure device – soon after.
4. Make copies of important documents
No matter how careful you are when travelling, sometimes personal items go missing.
"Identity theft is a crime of opportunity, and thieves prey upon vacationers," said Becky Frost, consumer education manager for Experian's ProtectMyID.
If your passport or credit card is lost or stolen on a trip, time is of the essence. The sooner you contact the local embassy or consulate or call your bank, the sooner you can get a replacement, as well as stop any unlawful use of your information.
The advice: Make photocopies of your passport and credit cards and store those copies securely somewhere, like the hotel safe. Alternatively, you could scan copies of your passport and cards, encrypt the copies and save them online.
What else would you add? Share your travel advice in the comments below.
Written by Carolyn Bigda. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.