If your end-of-summer plans include a vacation, consider these tips to protect your identity and your bank account.
• Empty your wallet of extra cards and IDs. Never travel with your Social Security card or checkbook. Only put your name/phone on luggage tags, not an address.
• Sign up for the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which lets you set up an account when traveling overseas. In an emergency, the local U.S. embassy can help you more efficiently. STEP also offers travel alerts, embassy contacts and visa/vaccination rules. Go to .
• Go online with caution. Never check personal websites — e-mail, banking or credit card accounts — on public computers or Wi-Fi systems.
• Before leaving town, notify your banks and credit card companies where you’ll be traveling and for how long. Use credit cards, which generally have more fraud protections than debit cards. Try to use ATMs only inside banks, not in busy, touristy spots.
