Travel Tip: Protecting Yourself from Credit Card ID Theft [ 0:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Take it from me, identify theft is no joke, and it can take years to recover from it. And being on the road makes you all the more vulnerable to thieves.

According to the FTC, as many as 11.1 million people are victimized every year. And many of them don’t even realize it until they’re contacted by a debt collector.

You need to be vigilant BEFORE identity theft becomes a problem.

Never, ever travel with your Social Security card. Once a thief gets a hold of that and your driver’s license, they have everything they need to start applying for credit cards.

A credit reporting service like Experian has additional monitoring services that alert you to any changes and will help you dispute charges.

If you’re planning to travel out of country for a while, ask your credit company to freeze your account—so that no one can open a new accounts in your name.

Look at your credit card statements each and every month. Identity thieves don’t necessarily go out and make big purchases. They may use your credit-card number to make small charges, like under $25, that don’t even require a signature.

For more information, visit the Travel Planning archives.

Keep reading for more travel tips.