Spring break is a beautiful time to relax and unwind after a long work stint through the busy first quarter of the year. Many families take this time to head out on vacation. Sadly, this is also a great time for thieves to steal your identity. It’s easy to forget that there are evil people in the world when you are soaking up the rays on vacation. The last thing you want to discover is that your identity has been stolen, and now you have to handle the ramifications. Identity theft is a crime of opportunity. You can do much to stop the event by being proactive when you hit the road toward your vacation destination.  

Hire Professionals to Maintain and Shred Your Documents

Part of keeping your identity safe at all times includes using the services of a document destruction company. They can take those records you no longer need and shred them so finely no one can put the puzzle pieces back together.

9 Tips to Keep Your Identity Safer While on Spring Break

Are you ready to enjoy your break, knowing you have thwarted cybercriminals? Check out these nine tips to keep your identity safe:

1. Clean out your wallet before you leave. Please take a moment to remove any unnecessary cards and documents with personal information. Be sure you do not have your Social Security card on you. That is a disaster waiting to happen!
2. Call your bank and credit card companies. Let your bank and credit card companies know you will be traveling. They can watch for suspicious activity and potential fraud while you are on the road.
3. Hold your mail. Put a hold on your mail to avert potential mail theft. This will prevent mail containing sensitive information from sitting unsecured in your mailbox.
4. Use the safe in your hotel room. Many hotel rooms have a safe. You can store your wallet and private documents in the safe so they are not left out where they can be quickly snatched up.
5. Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks. Thieves can easily take advantage of individuals checking their email or bank statements over unsecured Wi-Fi networks and track their activity without your knowledge. Use a private VPN when possible and limit reviewing private information while using public Wi-Fi.
6. Make wise choices when posting to social media. It is sensible to wait until you get home before posting your vacation pictures on social media. Posting while you are gone signals that you are not home and welcomes unwanted visitors.
7. Hold onto receipts. Keeping your receipts helps you stay within your vacation budget. More importantly, you can immediately check them against your bank or credit card statements and know if someone has taken the liberty of overusing your cards. 
8. Use credit cards instead of debit cards. Many banks offer protection from fraud, but credit card companies often provide better protection. They limit your liability, while debit cards have more complex terms that may include losing all your money in your account.

Protect Your Identity While on Spring Break with Help from a Dependable Company

Enjoy your vacation, knowing you have taken the right steps to protect your identity. The team at Crown Information Management offers services that help you destroy those documents that no longer need to sit in your home or workplace. We understand that identity theft can occur at any time or place. Our well-trained and dependable team has the know-how and equipment to correctly destroy records that are no longer required. We can also house your vital documents in our safe and secure facility. Look to us for all your document storage and destruction needs. 

For experienced help with media destruction, records management, and document storage, call Crown Information Management. You can reach us at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our services. Put our team to work for you. We are a SOC1 Level 2 Report,NAID AAA, and PCI Certified company.