While you'll find plenty of holiday joy during your travels over the next few weeks, beware of the Grinches. The TSA has issued an alert to travelers about the risk of what's known as juice jacking at USB ports found at airports and other public spaces. This is when hackers install malware at public charging stations to steal your personal information. Instead, travelers are advised to bring their own portable battery packs to charge devices.
Another threat this holiday season is public Wi-Fi. Alyssa Parker with the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Carolinas says, "We really encourage people to not use those free wi-fi sites, or if you do not do anything with personal information, banking, anything like that. If you have to use free wi-fi, just keep it real surface level."
Parker says hackers can set up fake, unsecured networks to steal your data, leading to fraud. To protect yourself while traveling, use your phone's Wi-Fi hotspot or wait for a secure network.
If your holiday travels hit roadblocks, like delayed or canceled flights or a snag with a rental car reservation, don't panic.
"People are quick to just Google a solution, but it's really important to make sure that, you know, the appropriate contact to reach. So whether you're taking the airline, already know you know that customer service number so you can reach them directly as opposed to going to a third-party site that could just lead to disaster down the road if something were to go wrong," Parker added.
Instead, go directly to the company's app or official website to chat with customer service or find the correct phone number. Also, watch out for fake cancellation emails or texts that ask you to call a number to rebook for a fee.
And while many of us love sharing holiday adventures on social media, be careful about oversharing. Depending on your privacy settings, you could be letting thieves know you're not home. The BBB recommends waiting to post vacation photos until you return.