When you travel, your assets and identity may be more at risk. Knowing how to travel safely can help. Before you go on vacation, protect your home by putting mail on a postal hold, setting lights on a timer, and pausing delivery of the morning paper. On the road, avoid entering personal information on shared computers and public Wi-Fi to shield against identity theft.
Traveling often means using unfamiliar networks, booking on the go, and sharing more personal information—all of which can increase your risk of fraud and identity theft.
Before you plan your next vacation, it helps to be aware of today’s common travel scams—and how to avoid them. Then, when it’s time for your trip, try these travel safety tips to help protect your personal information while you’re away.
Leave sensitive items at home
When you’re packing your bags, consider what’s in your wallet. Your Social Security card and any bank cards you don’t use regularly should stay in a safe place at home.
Then, consider whether you’ll really need your tablet and laptop. Electronics often hold sensitive personal information. Leave behind the devices you won’t need to reduce the risk of exposure.
Be mindful about social media
If you’re tempted to document your travels on social sites, remember this: posting from the road is like advertising that you’re not home. Bad actors can use this knowledge to gain access to your physical address or target you with highly personalized phishing attacks.
If you want to share about your trip, avoid posting in real-time and opt for a #latergram once you’re back at home.
Safeguard your devices
What if your smartphone is lost or stolen while you’re on the go? If your phone winds up in the wrong hands, your personal information is at risk of being exposed.
Before you go:
Enable a strong passcode or biometric lock
Turn on device tracking (like “Find My” features)
Set up remote lock or wipe capabilities
Avoid storing sensitive information in unsecured notes
It’s also smart to think about what you’d need access to if your phone were unavailable. Storing secure backups of important information—either encrypted in the cloud or offline—can help you stay on track if your device goes missing.
If you’re a member and something does happen, we’ll be with you every step of the way, so you can spend less of your trip worrying about identity theft.
Take care with rental cars
It’s handy to pair your smartphone and rental car for hands-free use. But this may add your contacts, playlists, and other personal content to the car’s system, which can lead to unwanted exposure of your information.
Before returning the car, make sure to:
Unpair your phone
Delete any synced contacts or accounts
Clear saved destinations, including your home address
Be wary of shared computers and public Wi-Fi
Airport and hotel business centers are convenient, but know that some public computers may be infected with spyware or malware designed to capture your activity.
Public Wi-Fi networks pose risks, too: cybercriminals on the same connection may be able to access your information.
To protect yourself while traveling, use encrypted internet connections whenever possible. A virtual private network (VPN) like the one we offer is probably the safest bet.
A few additional tips:
Avoid logging into sensitive accounts on shared devices
Be cautious when scanning QR codes in public places, as they can lead to fake websites
Use your own charger and a wall outlet when possible, instead of public USB ports
Make sure your place looks lived-in while you’re gone
Packages and papers accumulating on the front porch can signal to thieves that nobody’s home.
Before you leave, consider putting mail on a postal hold, setting lights on a timer, and pausing delivery of the morning paper. If you can, ask a friend to stop by each day to remove advertising fliers and anything else that piles up on the stoop in your absence.
We’re only a phone call away
There's no predicting when financial fraud or identity theft will happen, even with the best security practices in place.
Still, nobody wants to spend their vacation untangling identity fraud. If you have an Allstate Identity Protection plan and something does come up while you’re away, you won’t have to face it alone. Our certified specialists will be on hand to guide you and manage your restoration from start to finish, so you can have peace of mind and enjoy your trip.
