Eye & Pen: Lifestyle, Travel, Photography and Literature
  • Main
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Accommodations
    • Bucket List
    • Cheap Travel
    • Culture
    • Essay
    • Destinations
    • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Narratives
    • Personal
    • Photography
    • Restaurants
    • Reviews
    • Safe Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Trip Update
    • Weekly Wanderlust
  • Photo Gallery
    • Photo Gallery – All Places
    • Photo Gallery – Aruba
    • Photo Gallery – England
    • Photo Gallery – Europe
    • Photo Gallery – Iceland
    • Photo Gallery – Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Italy
    • Photo Gallery – Northern Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Other
    • Photo Gallery – Scotland
    • Photo Gallery – USA
  • Services
    • Blog Coaching
    • Graphic Design
    • Hire Brandon
    • Advertising
  • About Brandon
  • Contact

How to protect your family's identity on vacation

12/11/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
The last thing you want when you're traveling with your kids is to have a major financial problem. While most trips families take are probably incident free, the State Department indicates its 250 U.S. embassies and consulates receive calls every day from United States citizens seeking help for problems that occur during their travels. You can avoid some of these problems by paying attention to what you are doing and being aware of the latest travel scams. Check FBI's Scams & Safety web page (www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/) for the latest ways thieves try to trick travelers out of money.
The Midnight Call
You are asleep in your hotel when you get a call from the front desk informing you that your credit card has been declined and that they need your numbers to complete your transaction. The party on the other end might even offer you a discounted rate. In your sleepy state, you comply and give your credit card and name. You've been tricked.

Do's and Don'ts: Never give your credit card number by phone to someone who has called you. If you have any reason to believe the caller is being truthful, go to the lobby to complete the transaction. If you have given out your information, contact your credit card companies. Also, teach your kids not to answer the phone or door when you're not in the hotel room. You may also want to add a layer of protection before you travel with Lifelock; check out its Twitter or Facebook pages for tips on what to do if your financial information is compromised.

Your Carry-on
Traveling with young kids requires a lot of careful planning and more bags than you would bring yourself. You may put you're valuables (cash, jewelry, passport, phone charger, etc.) in a carry-on, but all of your kids emergency supplies (toys, coloring, diapers, medicine, etc.) need to go in there too. An overstuffed carry-on can be a big problem. Unfortunately, as you board, you are informed there is not enough room for your bag, so it must be checked at the gate. Maybe you remember to grab your computer tablet but forget about your jewelry. You discover that your valuables are missing when you arrive at your hotel.

Do's and Don'ts: According to Daily Mail travelers report approximately 200 thefts at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport every day. That is just one airport on one day. Even if you are planning to carry your bag on the plane, place of your valuables together so you can grab them all at once.

An Unreal Rental
You found a great deal on a rental unit on line and corresponded via email with the owner. He or she asks you to wire money to pay for the house. When you arrive at house, you discover that the real owner had already rented the property months ago. It turns out the person you had been corresponding with was a scam artist who hijacked the actual owner's email.

Do's and Don'ts: Never wire money or send MoneyGrams to secure a rental property. This is the No. 1 way that phishing thieves like to get their money. As of the fall of 2012, VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) reported it had been hit by 3,000 of these types of phishing scams. It has been working to create new and improved systems for its users. Do use a credit card for these types of purchases if your financial institution protects you from such scams; call them to find out.

(Photo by Ronel Reyes via Flickr)
(This post was written by Michelle Rodriguez)
2 Comments
Kerry Ascione link
1/10/2014 09:52:57 pm

Great tips. I did wire money once for an apartment in Venice. I don't recall the details, but I was confident that the money was going to someone legitimate. I don't remember what made me so sure??? But all went well. It was not a scam and the apartment was great. I still did not like wiring the money; for one, it was very expensive to do it.

Reply
Travels in Chennai | Mithucarrentals link
2/17/2017 12:21:21 am

Looking for Travels in Chennai at best rate, Mithu Car Rentals provide best quality cars with timely services. We give our best for your comforts.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Sign up for my VIP email list:

Picture
Picture

Article Topics

All
About Blogging
Accommodations
Bucket List
Cheap Travel
Culture
Destinations
Discussion
Entertainment
Environment
Essay
Fine Art Feature
Gear
General
Giveaway
Green Living
Guest Posts
Inspiration
Interviews
Lifestyle
Luxury
Narratives
Not Recommended
Other
Personal
Photography
Restaurants
Reviews
Safe Travel
Trip Planning
Trip Update
USA Road Trip
Video
Weekly Wanderlust

RSS Feed

Monthly Archive

November 2021
September 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

*Disclaimer: All blog posts featuring products, reviews, or suggestions for products or services are governed by our Disclosure. Products were received free to review, so to provide authentic opinions and content for our readers. The opinions and ideas in this post are the writer's own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. We receive no compensation for product reviews. Links within non-product review posts may be sponsored.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.