There's no question that business travel can help
your company take off. But unless you take care with your credit cards while on
the road, your identity could go off on its own trip. In fact, there was a new
victim of identity fraud every two seconds last year, according to the 2014
Identity Fraud Report by Javelin Strategy & Research, and one in three
consumers who received notice of a data breach became a victim of fraud.
One need only look at recent news reports for proof, from
the massive Target hacking to one that hit a little closer for traveling
'treps, the breach at hotel operator White Lodging (which manages 168
properties for brands such as Marriott).
But there's no need to cancel that next trip. Follow this
home-and-away plan to keep your identity with you, where it belongs.
Before you leave:
Keep in touch with
your credit card companies. "We look for any changes in spending
patterns," says Brent Reinhard, general manager of Ink from Chase. So add
this to your pre-travel to-do list: Call your issuers and let them know when
you'll be gone and where you're going. If you do get fraud-related inquiries
from your issuer, respond promptly--either to say "no, not me" so
they can shut the card down or to let them know that all those charges you
racked up while wooing clients are, unfortunately, yours.
But be warned: If you receive a call from your card
issuer, listen closely to make sure you're not speaking to a hacker. Phishing
scams are prevalent right now. If someone asks for personal information, be suspicious.
"If we call to ask you about a transaction, we don't ask for your account
number or for personal information," Reinhard says.
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