Protect Your Families Identity When Travelling
Travelling can be a very enjoyable leisure activity for friends and families all around the world. But when travelling frequently, there are some potential dangers that can be overlooked, particularly with protecting your personal information. As a matter of fact, your children may be at the greatest risk.
When a teenager engages in seemingly harmless activities such as posting a video on Snapchat or withdrawing money from an ATM, they can unknowingly expose their identity and become potential pray for criminals. So it’s very important to keep a keen eye on your own information and your children’s. In fact, In the United States, it has recently become free to check a child’s credit report to protect and uncover identity theft.
In the following paragraphs, we’ll explore how your teens identity can get stolen when travelling, what to do to prevent this from happening, and what to do if you suspect you or your children has already become a victim.
How Can My Child’s Identity Get Stolen?
As protectors of our youngins, we are mindful of looking out for their personal well being at all times. We’ve all heard horror stories of how costly and time consuming identity theft can be and know it’s something we don’t want to deal with. But often parents overlook the security of their kids because they don’t yet have assets. Many people are unaware that their children are actually ripe targets for identity theft so parents need to do everything they can to educate themselves and their children of the dangers.
We’re actually much more susceptible to identity theft when we’re travelling abroad. We commonly use foreign ATMs, connect to unfamiliar Wi-Fi networks, and carry lots of sensitive documents with ourselves such as passports and credit cards. So when you consider that and add in a child who is not experienced with handling money, it can be even more dangerous.
In the era of smartphones and modern technology, social media apps like Facebook and Snapchat are how many teens interact with the world. It’s also how they are at an increased risk of digital victimization. That doesn’t mean that parents should necessarily discourage their children from using these services, but it is a good opportunity to educate them about the risks and how to avoid them.
Here are a few things you can do to minimize the chances of having you and your family’s identity stolen:
Public Wi-FI – Cyber criminals absolutely love public areas with Wi-Fi because it’s a gold mine for them. Lots of information is being transmitted over an insecure network and so the information is easy to intercept. That’s why it’s a good idea to avoid these public hotspots as much as possible. If you have to use them, avoid inputting personally sensitive information while doing so.
Location Settings – Leveraging location settings can be a great way to keep track of your child because it tracks their location. On the flip side, if stolen by criminals, this information can be used for malice. If this information gets in the wrong hands, criminals can track behavioral patterns to launch targeted attacks.
Social Media Safety – Teenagers love social media and tend to spend hours on end mesmerized by these apps. When traveling, it can be really tempting to share all of the exciting news and pictures of your trips online. However, the best thing you can do is avoid posting pictures and information until you’re back at home. If you must do so, never post any information about confirmation numbers or any other key pieces of sensitive information.
Photos of Boarding Passes – Lots of people post pictures of their boarding passes so you might be thinking, that’s totally fine to do! But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, posting your boarding pass online could reveal enough for a hacker to steal you or your child’s identity. Websites have be created to read specific barcodes on boarding passes quickly and easily to reveal all sorts of personal information about you that a hacker can use.
Public Computers – Accessing a public computer at a hotel or local library can be tempting and a great convenience, but it doesn’t comes without its risks. You have no idea what silent computer programs may be running in the background, tracking each and every one of your digital moves. Keyloggers are a very common device used by cyber hackers to access the information you hold near and dear to your heart.
Romance – Another serious danger is romance scams either probing for information or convincing a potential suitor to send money for some obscure reason.
We’ve heard them all and have compiled a database of scammers and their different approaches. Do not send money or share personal information with anyone before consulting with our private investigators or retaining Investigation Hotline experts.\
You’re better safe than sorry!
