Michael Bruemmer is Vice President of Consumer Protection at Experian, the world’s leading global information services company. With more than 25 years in the industry, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge related to business operations and development in the identity theft and fraud resolution space. He has educated businesses of all sizes and sectors through pre-breach and breach response planning and delivery, including notification, call center and identity theft protection services.

Q: How can consumers protect themselves from Identity Theft? 

A: 

• Book With Your Credit Card

When booking your flights and accommodations, use your credit card instead of a debit/ATM card whenever possible. Credit card companies limit your liability, and they also report new accounts to the credit reporting agencies, which makes handling and spotting potetial issues more seamless. As an added bonus, many credit cards offer travel insurance to their card holders, which can protect you from things like cancelled flights, delays and baggage issues.

• Alert Your Financial Institutions

Travelers should alert all of their bank and credit card companies of their travel plans. Since credit card companies keep an eye out for fraudulent activity, they may mistake your purchases out of your usual geographic area as fraud. Alerting your banks and credit card companies will help avoid your card being frozen while you travel. In addition, notifying your card companies will also help agents spot any activity that doesn’t fit the parameters of your trip, and hopefully allow you to catch potential fraud early.

• Make It Look Like You Never Left

Thieves are always on the hunt for signs of an empty home. Take the time to pause your newspaper delivery as well as your mail delivery so it is not obvious no one has been home to collect these items. In addition, we recommend setting your lights on timers to make it appear people are home in the evening. Finally, if you have a trusted neighbor, tell them about your vacation plans so they will be able to identify any unusual behavior at your home and alert law enforcement, if necessary.

• Leave Important Documents At Home

When it comes to traveling, less is more. Leave at home anything you won’t absolutely need, such as your social security card or extra credit cards. Thieves are resourceful and it does not take much of your personal information for them to gain access to your accounts or identity. In addition, if your wallet is lost or stolen, having fewer items compromised will make fraud resolution easier.

• Don’t Overshare On Social Media

As we all know, people sometimes overdo it when it comes to social media and, as a result, make themselves more vulnerable to identity theft. The safest approach: don’t post about your vacation before you leave or during the trip. This alerts potential thieves that you are out of town and your home and accounts are more easily accessible. Do yourself a favor, and wait to brag about that trip until you get home. Even sharing a boarding pass photo online can expose you to identity theft as scammers can pull airline account information from the pass – even if it’s a photo.

While traveling can certainly open people up to identity theft and fraud, taking precautions before you leave can lessen many of these risks. Take some time to prepare your home and personal information for your trip – not only will you be better protected, you’ll likely enjoy your trip that much more when you have one less thing to worry about.

Q: What misconceptions are there around identity theft and travel? 

A: A big misconception is that it’s unlikely to happen to you.   Don’t be so sure. A past survey by Experian revealed 30 percent of travelers have experienced identity theft while traveling, or know someone who has.  Identity theft has a significant impact on the overall travel experience and often takes time to resolve. In fact, 53 percent of people affected by identity theft on vacation noted it took weeks to reach resolution, while 7 percent reported months and 4 percent noted years. Despite the known hassles created by identity theft, the survey also showed that consumers do not take important steps to protect themselves.

Q: What Travel Trends do you predict for 2017? 

A:

-Scammers will find new ways to access private information. Technological innovation is great for the traveler, but often creates additional opportunities for identity thieves. Understand the risks of new technologies and how to mitigate those.

-One trend that is bound to continue is the simple danger that comes from free Wi-Fi – especially during travel when you are in unfamiliar surroundings.  If you come across free access in a public place, be careful. That’s not the place to log into your bank account or make an online purchase. Don’t let your guard down during travels.

-ATM scams are likely to continue as hackers find new ways to use skimming technology, which allows thieves to read cards not only at ATMs, but also at gas stations and other public places.