As you make your travel plans, plan how you’ll keep your personal information safe.
When you’re away from home, distractions become opportunities for thieves who are looking for ways to steal your identity.
Save Stress and Money
Whether it's protecting your identity or your financial well-being, invest time to learn about safe practices that you can do before and during your vacation. Protect your identity before you leave home, and decide in advance how you'll manage your finances while abroad. These simple steps can save you hours of frustration and hundreds of dollars or more.
Before you go:
• Have your mail collected or held at the post office.
• Don’t blog, tweet, or post your travel plans on social networking sites.
• Decide which credit cards you'll take (as few as possible) and how you'll stash a backup in case one is lost, stolen, or canceled.
• Make a list of important phone numbers, including the numbers of
Coosa Pines FCU and other credit card issuers.
• At home, make sure your financial documents are put away securely and not in plain view.
When traveling:
• Don’t carry extra credit cards or personal information (Social Security number etc.) in your wallet or purse unless necessary.
• Never leave your purse or wallet unattended.
• Beware of distractions. Criminals create or take advantage of distractions and then try to steal your personal items.
• Assume public wireless establishments aren’t secure -- don’t enter passwords or financial account information when using a public wireless “hot spot” or cyber café.
• Use cash when possible.
• Confirm credit card numbers in person at hotels instead of over the phone.
