Plastic advice for travellers

by Gill Montia

Story link: Plastic advice for travellers

Capital One is urging holidaymakers to review their personal security and avoid being a victim of the pickpocket or identify thief.

The credit card provider has conducted a survey in which 45% of those questioned admitted to not using the safes provided in hotels.

This group of respondents seemed to be happy to keep passports and personal documents in pockets or bags, or to leave them hidden in hotel rooms and apartments.

Capital One is advising holidaymakers to make use of safes in their holiday accommodation and inform their bank if they are away from the UK for a long period.

Those who prefer to carry their documents at all times should invest in a travel pouch or money belt and not keep a cheque book and plastic cards together.

In the event of misfortune, disruption to a holiday can be minimalised if travellers take two photocopies of their passports, one travelling with them on holiday and the other left with a relative or friend.

On the home front, sensitive post can be held securely by the Royal Mail’s Keepsafe service, during a period of absence.

On return from holiday bank and credit card statements should be checked for any unusual activity.

In addition, APACS, the UK payments association, has published Protect Your PIN, a guide to remind cardholders of the need to keep their PIN safe at all times.

Whilst chip and PIN has made credit and debit cards much less likely to be used fraudulently in the UK, fraudsters continue to copy the cards’ magnetic stripe details and create counterfeit cards that can be used in countries that don’t yet have chip and PIN.

Protect Your PIN is aimed to helping improve consumer understanding of these issues and also gives advice on how to remember PINs and protect them whenever they are used.

The guide is available to download at www.apacs.org.uk and www.cardwatch.org.uk.