Travel Tip 6
Your passport opens more than borders
Travel Tip 6
Your passport opens more than borders
You hand over your passport at check-in, scan it for the airline, and upload it for the villa or your concierge service. Each copy is a complete identity kit. Criminals intercept scans, photograph documents over your shoulder, or pose as a legitimate service to collect them. Stolen travel documents can fuel identity fraud long after your trip ends.
Warning signs of identity fraud
- A service asking for a passport scan for a non-essential reason, like a loyalty perk
- Someone standing too close as you complete check-in or immigration
- Requests to email or message a full passport copy to an unverified address
- Boarding passes or documents left on seats, in the trash, or posted online
BlackCloak’s cybersecurity travel tips
- Share ID only with verified airlines, hotels, and services you contacted yourself
- Keep your passport in an RFID-blocking holder, and your devices close
- Cover your screen and documents in queues, and use a privacy screen on laptops
- Shred or securely dispose of old boarding passes and luggage tags
- Never post photos of your boarding pass or travel documents
Destination: Reality
BlackCloak analysts regularly find scans of passports, boarding passes, and hotel check-in forms for sale on criminal marketplaces for as little as $10.