Don’t Store Your Passport or Passport Card in Your Wallet
Any government-issued photo ID in the wrong hands can be disastrous to your finances, which is why you should avoid carrying your passport or passport card in your wallet.
These two forms of ID can not only be used to open bank accounts or get a new copy of your Social Security card, but criminals will also be able to travel in your name. From there, heaves know what other crimes they will commit while pretending to be you?
And yes, in case you’re questioning the validity of our statements, there are wallets with special slots just for passports. People who travel frequently are far more likely to carry their passports around too.
As for passport cards, since they’re the same size as a driver’s license, it’s no wonder people leave them in their wallets after crossing our borders either to the North or to the South.
When you’re traveling the safest thing you could do is carry a photocopy of your passport if you absolutely need it and then request that your passport be placed in a hotel safe for the duration of your stay.
4 thoughts on “6 Dangerous Things in Your Wallet Right Now That Could Ruin Your Life”
I am a novice at this traveling thing. I hear a lot about the Cloud. Would you explain what it is and how do I use it? Furthermore, is the cloud the only use for traveling? I am thinking of taking a vacation with my husband come spring. Please help me figure out what the cloud is and what keeps others from accessing it. I would like to be able to have it figured out before I go on vacation. Please help. Cheers Sarah
My sister di that. She stored everything on cloud, then when we were away on vacay, she tried to access her cloud. It wanted to charge her for everything she was downloading. Being charged for her own stuff, thaks crazy. that was a while ago so I don’t know if the cloud is diferent now and that ws when it first came out.
The cloud is just somebody else’s computer, but given a friendly fluffy name. All Computers can be hacked. Haven’t you noticed all the ransomware being used to make big companies pay $$$$ nowadays?
Agreed 100%. I recently lost my wallet in Vegas. After reporting the loss to the police, I received a follow up phone call from a detective of the police department. We discussed almost exactly the same contents as covered in this article, except the hard copy credit card receipts from the stores. A very interesting perspective from the detective: most lost wallets/purses are picked up by everyday common folks. Even if they aren’t model citizens who would turnthe wallet into the police, or, just drop off into a mail box, they lack the sophistication to venture into the more serious crimes of identity thefts.
That said, still, it’s best to be vigilant to make all the defensive moves after the loss — the sooner the better. One of my best moves after discovery of the loss of my wallet was to remotely turn off my credit cards via the phone apps within minutes. That headed off at least 3 attempts of unauthorized online use of my bank debit card. So, make sure you know how to activate/deactivate your credit/debit cards with your phone. It should be an available feature in your phone app. Walk in to your bank to ask for help if you are not computer savvy enough to figure it out yourself.