THERE are four photos you should never post while vacationing or scammers may target you.
It may seem innocent when posting photos of your vacation, but it could come with some serious risks.
The security tip came from tech expert Stu Sjouwerman from the cyber security blog KnowBe4.
“There is no such thing as a vacation for cybercriminals,” Sjouwerman said.
“Cybercriminals can use this information for identity theft, unauthorized credit card accounts, and fraudulent purchases.”
Here is a breakdown of the four photos you should never post, per
BOARDING PASS BARCODE
You should never share or post photos of the barcode on your boarding pass or risk draining the bank.
Barcodes can easily be scanned or read by anyone with free software.
If scanned by a bad guy, they could have access to tons of personally identifiable information.
This includes contact details, passport numbers, and driver’s license information.
Your reservation number and frequent flier number can also be leaked.
Mileage points or travel details may be the target for bad guys too as they can be exchanged for tons of rewards.
Sjouwerman noted these are hard to recover.
This includes not taking a boarding pass selfie.
“Tell your friends and family before their next trip, to resist the urge to take that boarding pass selfie!” Sjouwerman said.
THREE OTHER PHOTOS
There are three other photos you don’t want to post while on vacation, per Sjouwerman.
- Photos in general while you’re on vacation,
- Photos of check-in/location information
- Statuses on social media with photos
It is recommended to post once you return from your vacation to keep yourself safe from attacks while on the trip.
Another scheme the hackers use once gaining your boarding pass information includes pretending to be an airline representative.
By doing this, they’ll request for credit card details or additional personal information.
