Travelling today is very different to when I first traveled to Bali as a baby in 1979.
Cyber security and international fraud were not issues facing the general travelling public. The biggest concerns facing tourists were localised threats such as pick-pockets and the ever persistent street hawker.
Fast forward 30 years & Big Brother is now watching your every move!
In today’s world of online social media and global online connectivity, it takes little effort to learn if someone is away from their home and to capitalise on this. Physical and cyber identity & property theft is becoming ever more sophisticated and frequent. In fact it is no longer simply a just domestic threat but global one.
You may know your close friends and family well, but in the world of Facebook and social media where less than 6 degrees exist, one of these degrees will be a criminal element. A friend-of-a-friend needs only to like a post or status update and suddenly everyone is aware of what you are doing, when you are doing it and how far from your home and assets you are doing it from.
And just in case anyone gets any big ideas – we have a house sitter for the duration of our trip who is taking care of our menagerie of animals which includes a staffie who loves to ‘say hello’ to strangers, at least that is what I reassure them.
30 years ago you would only travel with cash and maybe the odd travellers cheque. Today we rely on credit, debit and EFTPOS with little use of physical cash. In fact, most of our trip has been pre-purchased via online transactions and transfers. Banking institutions are more savy these days and will identify and contact you if unusual or suspicious activity happens before processing transactions, but this usually involves a call to your mobile chewing up extraordinary global roaming charges costing you sometimes more than the transaction you are trying to complete.
Top tips for travellers in our new age cyber world:
- Be careful not to disclose your residential address and duration of your trip online. This helps identify where you live and when you will be away which helps domestic thieves target you.
- Keep online posts moderated and delayed, even better – post on your return. It is nice to tell everyone where you are especially if your in a breathtaking location. But this pinpoints your location for everyone to see.
- Update your online social media privacy settings, even if only temporarily.
- Contact your financial institution and advise them of the countries you intend to visit.
- Contact your mobile provider to activate global roaming and ask to see the international charges.
- Register your travel plan with DFAT (<ahref=”http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/”>http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/</a>)
- Copy all your travel documents and keep them with someone local just in case.
- Update your neighbours on your travel plans so they can be vigilant to any unusual activity. Provide them with a spare key just in case, even better – get someone to stay at your place.
- Install some timer delays on table lamps to give the appearance someone is home. Get someone to collect your mail twice-weekly.
- Double check your locks and security. Install a security camera or two if necessary.
Staying ‘off the grid’ in this day and age is something easier said than done however there is a lot to be said for keeping a low profile.