Spare keys

Spare keys
Thinkstock

Beware of toting around spare house keys in your wallet—it’s an open invitation for thieves to break into your home, experts say. All the crooks have to do is find your address on your driver’s licence, and they will instantly have access to everything inside your house. Instead, leave spare keys in the care of a relative or friend.

 

Advertisement

Too much cash

Too much cash

Rolling with a big wad of cash in your wallet could make you a tempting target for thieves. Instead, consider keeping a slim stash of five and ten-dollar bills for emergencies only. If your cash-filled wallet is stolen or lost, you should file a police report ASAP. “You may never get your wallet back, but filing the reports helps to document that the theft occurred and can be useful in proving that you were a victim of fraud if your credit card or other documents were used for fraud or identity theft purposes,” Weisman says.

 

Passport

Passport
Getty Images

Unless you are crossing national borders, your passport should stay in a safe deposit box or another secure place. And even when you travel abroad, it’s good practice to make a copy of your passport and leave the real one locked in the hotel safe, identity theft experts say. Criminals can use a stolen passport to travel in your name, get a new copy of your Medicare card, or open bank accounts, according to kiplinger.com.

Here are the world’s sneakiest travel scams and how to avoid them.

Birth certificate

Birth certificate
Shutterstock

The same rules used for your passport should apply to your birth certificate, too. Store it in a safe deposit box, and only bring it out for special cases like closing a mortgage or getting a new driver’s licence. As an added precaution, Weisman suggests making photocopies of all of the contents of your wallet ahead of time so that you know exactly what was stolen.

Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!

Source: RD.com 

Never miss a deal again - sign up now!

Connect with us: