The summer travel season is here, which means driving and flying to new locales and using exciting and unfamiliar ATMs. That increases your risk of both having awesome fun times and of being the victim of credit or debit card fraud, so it’s good to keep that in mind and take a few precautions. 

Our colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports have some advice for travelers before you hit the sky or open road to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud and wrecking your travel plans.

Frequenting the same ATMs so you’re familiar with what they should look like is a good way to avoid being the victim of a skimmer, but that’s impossible when you’re on the road. Check out this classic post with a gallery of skimmers to familiarize yourself with what to look for and how to quickly check to make sure that no one is trying to clone your card.

Notify your bank of your travel plans in advance so you don’t get shut down accidentally, and also watch out for fraudulent charges so you can report them right away.

Travelers: Protect credit cards and bank account from scams [Consumer Reports]

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