Don't Let ID Theft Turn Spring Break Into A Nightmare

03-15-2007
Contact: Glen Loyd
608-224-5007

Have fun and relax on spring break, but protect yourself from identify thieves who prey on travelers who let their guard down.

"Leave your checkbook at home," says Janet Jenkins of the Wisconsin Office of Privacy Protection, "Credit cards provide you with much more protection. Clean out your wallet,, removing unnecessary credit cards, your Social Security card, and other unneeded documents that could used to steal your  identity. "

"When you are filling up your gas tank in big urban areas, lookout!  Criminals cruise gas stations looking to snatch unattended purses and wallets.  Keep car doors locked.  When filling your tank, keep your purse off your car seat and out of sight."

Here are more tips from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, http://www.privacyrights.org

• Do not leave your wallet or any documents containing personal information in your hotel room unattended.  Use a hotel safe when available.
• Use credit cards instead of debit cards.  This reduces your vulnerability to having your checking account emptied while you are on vacation.
• Photocopy or make a list of the contents of your wallet.  Keep it in a secure and locked location or with a trusted individual at home whom you can contact in case your wallet is lost or stolen.
• Guard your credit card receipts and car rental agreements, particularly if they contain your full credit card number.
• If you plan on using an ATM card during your vacation, use one that does not have debit card privileges (for example one that requires a PIN and does not contain a Visa or MasterCard logo).  You can ask your bank to change an ATM/debit card to one that is "ATM only." It's best to use ATM machines found at banks or credit unions and that are in well-lit areas.
• Ask your Post Office or a trusted neighbor to hold your mail for you.  Mail that is left in an unlocked mailbox is a goldmine for identity thieves.
• If you are bringing your laptop with you, be very careful when using it to access online banking or other password-protected services from wi-fi networks. Be sure to use wi-fi “hotspots” that are secure.
• If you are using cyber-cafés or other public access Internet facilities rather than bringing your laptop with you, be aware that keyloggers (software that can track your keystrokes) may be tracking you.

If you are or think you have been the victim of identity theft, contact the Wisconsin Office of Privacy Protection at 1-800-422-7128 or online at WisconsinPrivacy@datcp.state.wi.us. For more information, visit the website at www.privacy.wi.gov.

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