Having your banking information stolen when you’re at home is frustrating enough, but for it to happen while you’re travelling overseas can be downright stressful and frightening. Unfortunately, it can - and does - happen, way too often. It happened to me eight years ago during my honeymoon in Italy and it was an experience I hope to never experience again.
It started off like every other day, with a stop at a local cafe for coffee - the very best kind of sustenance in one of the very best places in the world. Unbeknownst to me, my credit card information had been stolen while we wandered the lovely streets of Florence. I don't know where it happened, but what I did know was that someone had been purchasing expensive electronic goods in Utah - and it wasn’t me.
Luckily for me, I bank with TD, so it was easy to call their customer service number from abroad when my credit card didn’t magically go through at the cafe like it was supposed to. The person I spoke with explained to me that there had been some fraudulent charges on my credit card and cancelled it immediately.
Financial fraud is a reality for most of us at some point in our lives or another. In fact, according to a recent TD survey, 85 per cent of Canadians worry that they or their loved ones will be the victim of financial fraud. Thankfully, I've learned a few tips from TD on how to deal with it - if it ever happens again. Have a look:
We all hope that the unthinkable doesn’t happen, especially when we're away from home, but fraud doesn’t wait for us to be comfortable. All we can do is our due diligence to prevent fraud and financial theft from happening. Fraud can strike at any time but as long as you're armed with this knowledge, you can still enjoy your vacation and that delicious, authentic Italian coffee. And wine. And shopping...
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