Safe Summer Travel: Keeping Your Money and Identity Secure on the Go
Summer travel should be about memories, not messes. No one wants to deal with fraud, frozen accounts, or identity theft while they’re out of town. Unfortunately, vacations are prime time for cybercriminals — travelers are rushed, distracted, and often connected to unfamiliar networks.
The good news? Safe summer travel comes down to a few simple habits that can dramatically reduce your risk.
At WoodmenLife, we’re all about helping protect what matters most — your family, your finances, and your future. As you plan your vacation, Rob LaMagna-Reiter, Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer at WoodmenLife, offers some advice on how to make sure it’s about memories, not messes.
Remain Cautious With Public Wi Fi
Free Wi Fi at hotels, airports, cafés, and conference centers is convenient, but not risk-free.
On public Wi Fi networks, you don’t know who else is connected, or what protections (if any) the network owner has in place. If connections aren’t properly protected, other people on the same network may be able to see information you send, like login credentials or session data.
Safe summer travel tips:
- Avoid checking sensitive accounts (banking, insurance, retirement, credit cards) on completely open Wi Fi networks. If you do log in, watch out for potential warnings from your browser or security software if a secure connection cannot be established.
- Certain geographic locations and countries take more intrusive steps and provide no assurance that your information will remain private. Do your research if you’re traveling internationally.
- Consider a trusted Virtual Private Network (VPN) app from a reputable provider. A VPN encrypts your traffic so others can’t easily see what you’re sending.
Watch Out for Fake QR Codes
QR codes are everywhere: parking meters, restaurant menus, event passes, museum exhibits. Scanning one feels quick and harmless — but you should remain cautious!
Cybercriminals sometimes place fake QR codes over legitimate ones, redirecting you to lookalike websites designed to steal payment information or login credentials.
Safe summer travel tips:
- Pause and look at the QR code itself.
- Be cautious if it looks:
- Slapped on like a sticker
- Crooked or peeling
- Placed over another visible code
- If something feels off, don’t scan it. Type the official website address manually or ask a staff member.
Keep Your Physical Cards Safe
Travel often means frequent card use and using unknown merchants. Skimming is still a threat, especially in tourist-heavy areas.
Safe summer travel tips:
- Use phone “tap to pay” or digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) instead of swiping or inserting your card. These systems use temporary tokens, not your real card number.
- Enable transaction alerts with your bank or credit card issuer. A quick text or app alert for every purchase helps you spot fraud immediately.
- Carry only the cards you actually need and leave extras at home.
- Consider carrying a small amount of emergency cash in case your card is lost, stolen, or locked due to fraudulent activity.
- Save your bank or credit card issuer’s contact information in your phone.
Secure Your Phone
Your phone likely holds access to your bank, email, travel apps, and digital payments — it’s essentially your wallet now. If someone unlocks it, they don’t necessarily need your physical cards.
Safe summer travel tips:
- Use a strong screen lock (a minimum six-digit PIN, with optional fingerprint, or face recognition).
- Turn on automatic locking so your phone locks if set down. You can choose the time out, as short as 30 seconds or as long as 30 minutes. We recommend 1-2 minutes.
- Enable “Find My Device” so you can locate or remotely erase your phone if it’s lost or stolen.
Beware of Fake Booking and ‘Urgent’ Messages
Travelers are common targets for phishing texts and emails, especially messages that look like hotel alerts, airline changes, or payment problems.
Safe summer travel tips:
- Be skeptical of messages claiming, “urgent action required,” especially those in links.
- Don’t click links in unexpected texts or emails claiming to be from airlines, hotels, or rental agencies.
- Open travel apps directly or call the organization using a known phone number instead of following links to “fix an issue.”
Small Habits that Make a Big Difference
You don’t need to be paranoid to help ensure a worry-free vacation — just be intentional.
Safe summer travel tips:
- Ensure your phone has a passcode enabled, at a minimum.
- Continue to leverage unique, strong passwords for all logins. Wherever possible, enable passwordless options such as passkeys, which leverage biometric authentication on a trusted device to log you in.
- Ensure your devices are up to date prior to departure — updates often include important security fixes.
- Avoid oversharing travel details publicly on social media while you’re away.
- Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) for email, banking, and shopping accounts.
- Review privacy and security settings in travel apps.
- If traveling internationally, let your bank and credit card company know in advance.
Travel Smart, Not Scared
Cybersecurity while traveling doesn’t require technical expertise or complicated tools. It comes down to using secure connections, questioning what you scan, watching your accounts, and acting quickly if something looks wrong. With these tips in mind, you’re ready to make some memories.
Written by: Gary Peterson, Senior Copywriter, on behalf of Rob LaMagna-Reiter, Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer
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