Whether you travel to the next county or country, keep your money safe and secure on your vacation. Here are five tips to help protect your credit card (and personal information) and keep identity theft from ruining your vacation mood.

1. Lighten up your wallet; opt for cards over cash

Use a debit or credit card instead of carrying large amounts of cash. And if you carry folded money, divide the bills, keeping some in your wallet and some in other places on your body (e.g., money belt) to limit your loss, should a wallet become lost or stolen.

2. Use a card for protection and control

Credit cards are a good option for paying for purchases because they allow you to seek a refund from the issuer if problems occur if your card is lost or stolen.

3. Never leave your card unattended

Wherever you travel, never let your card out of your sight. While you likely have limited liability for charges on a stolen credit card, dealing with the outcome can dampen your vacation plans.

4. Look out for ATM skimming scams

When traveling across North Carolina, there is no shortage of ATMs. Use our locations map to find one closest to you or in the areas where you travel.

Whether you are near home or abroad, look closely at the machine to ensure your card information is not being recorded as part of an ATM scam called skimming. With card skimming, the data from your card’s magnetic strip is illegally copied. Thieves use this information to steal your information and access your accounts.

Make sure there are no other devices on or near the card reader or keypad as skimmers use fraudulent external devices that cover the ATM’s true readers and keypads. Use your hand to cover up your password while you type it into the machine for added privacy.

5. Check your account statements

Upon returning from (or even during) your vacation, review your credit and/or debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals and see if they match up with your receipts. If you are a victim of identity theft related to your credit or debit card, alert Civic right away by calling 844.772.4842.

Knowing your personal data is safe can help you travel lighter and enjoy the vacation you deserve.