Business travelers who carry around paper itineraries, tickets and boarding passes may be more vulnerable to travel and identity fraud.
That’s because personally identifiable information—passenger name, record locator (typically a six-digit alphanumeric code), booking information and so on—can be extracted from the digits and bar codes printed on these travel documents. Fraudsters can use this information to access and steal credit card numbers, drain airline mileage accounts or even book flights at the traveler’s expense.
Protect your information
BCD Travel security experts recommend travelers take a few easy steps to keep their information out of the hands of bad guys:
- Never post pictures online of your travel itineraries, tickets or boarding passes.
- Never leave behind boarding passes and tickets on a plane or in a hotel room—even when your trip is done.
- When you’re finished with these travel documents, shred them. Don’t just throw them into the trash.
- Swap paper documents for digital boarding passes and itinerary management apps like BCD’s TripSource. The security code on your mobile device helps keep this information secure, even if the device is lost or stolen.
These tips are not exhaustive; please consult your own security teams for useful ways to avoid fraudulent activity and promote safety while traveling. But taking these simple steps can go a long way toward protecting travelers’ personal information.
Want to learn more? Check out BCD security experts’ video about on-the-road security for travelers; it covers everything from wise use of WiFi to staying safe at ATMs.
