Privacy Tips To Protect You During Summer Vacations

By Ashley Western, ACSR, MSM RMI
Commercial Business Development Manager

The Summer can come with any number of joyous events and holidays.  Trips to see family, vacations, and long weekends are naturally enjoyable times that we all look forward to.  However, coming home to realize your bank account has been compromised is not a good ending to such repreive from everyday life.  Follow my privacy tips to ensure your privacy.

1.  Forget the Tweets- It is easy for followers to decipher the best time to break into your house when you're broadcasting your travel plans on social media sites.  Be sure your public announcements are discreet when away from home. 

2.  Put your bank on notice- A quick call to your financial institution to let them know when & where you'll be traveling allows them to flag your account for any charges outside of your destination and timeframe.  Particularly when traveling abroad, this can also save you some embarrasment from having your chargest rejected when your bank does not expect the pattern of spending & therefore rejects your charges.

3.  Put the US Post Office on Notice- Having your mail & newspapers put on hold helps the exterior of your home remain normal, and keeps it from being obvious you are away.

4.  Use Credit, Not Debit- Using credit cards with fraud protection during a trip will help ensure any breached card will connect directly with your checking account.  Most credit card companies limit the client's liability on fraudulent charges to $50. 

5.  Enlist the help of a trusted friend or family member to change the lights in your home- Setting the appearance of occupancy can help keep theives away.

6.  Make sure any wifi hot spots you login to have encryption, and if they don't, do not check accounts on the network.

7.  Hit the ATM before you hit the road- Many ATM skimming rings exist, and they can poach your information quickly.

8.  Take only the necessary items from your wallet- Make sure to remove things such as uneeded credit cards, social security cards, and other personally identifiable information that is not essential to your trip.

9.  Keep 1 credit card and 1 photo ID separate from your wallet.  In the event you lose your wallet or purse, this will help you to ensure you can still afford to get home!

10.  Consider using applications for your mobile device (Such as SplashID)- this is an application that allows you to house all of your credit cards in scanned PDF format on your iPhone.  If you lose the card, you have an image of your card and it will help you to quickly alert the credit card companies.  The application requires a hefty username & password, to ensure security.

The goal of most vacations are to come home rested & relaxed.  The last thing you want to deal with when arriving home is a data breach of your private information.  Following these tips can help you to ensure your information & personal security are secure.