Protect Yourself From Identity Theft When Traveling

Take these seven steps before you leave on a trip to protect your identity and prevent hassles with your debit and credit cards.

Kimberly Lankford's avatar
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Payment by Credit Card for Airline Tickets
(Image credit: artisteer)

Question: Do I need to let my bank and credit card company know before I leave for vacation? What else should I do to protect my identity when I’m traveling?

Answer: It’s a good idea to notify your bank and credit card issuer before you travel. Many financial institutions have increased efforts to protect against fraud, and it’s becoming much more common for them to deny transactions from an unexpected location. Your account may be frozen until you contact the bank to verify your identity and confirm that the purchases are legitimate.

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Kimberly Lankford
Kimberly Lankford
Contributing Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.