Travel safety experts say that having too much info on luggage tags can actually attract thieves. Mike Harvey, the managing director of 1st Move International, says that putting your address on your mailbox tells burglars that your house is empty. And don’t list your passport numbers or insurance details—that’ll help prevent you from becoming a victim of financial fraud. A safe bet is to just put your name (as it appears in your passport), a phone number with the country code, and a separate email address for travel.
We all know how stressful lost or stolen luggage is for travelers. What could be worse than arriving for a long-awaited vacation or business trip and discovering that all your belongings have vanished? That’s why travelers attach luggage tags with specific info about the owner to their suitcase — so they can easily reunite with it if it goes missing. But travelers often give away too much unnecessary info, report Express.
Mike Harvey, the managing director of 1st Move International, says that putting full names of family members and home addresses on luggage tags can be a serious risk.
“When you’re putting labels on your luggage, it’s important to find a middle ground between making your bag easy to spot and keeping your personal info safe. He says that giving out too much info can leave you vulnerable to identity theft, financial fraud, robbery, and other risks.
Harvey says that if your home address is out there, it could let thieves know that your home is empty.
Also, don’t write passport numbers or insurance policy details on luggage tags. That can help scammers commit fraud.
Also, info about valuable items in your luggage can attract unwanted attention.
Instead, Harvey suggests that travelers use simple luggage tags with just the essentials: your name, phone number, and email address.
“Put your full name as it appears on your passport in the comments so the airline staff can easily find your lost luggage. Second, include a phone number with the country code so people can reach you quickly, and an email address—ideally, a separate address for communicating with the travel company so messages aren’t sent to your main inbox,” he advised.