Luggage tag scams: How to keep your bags safe from fraud

Picture this: You’ve just landed at the airport and, after grabbing all your luggage from the bag carousel, you rip the tags off your suitcases and throw them away without thinking twice.

Seems harmless, right?

What you might not realize is that these tags have information scammers can use to commit fraud and make it harder for travelers to get help with their bags in the future.

How does a luggage tag scam work?

A baggage tag contains your name, flight numbers, airline information, baggage number, and sometimes membership numbers.

Scammers can then use your name to create a fake email address and, after making up other contact information, can submit a claim to an airline for a lost, delayed or damaged bag to get money.

Victims who have had a tag stolen could run into issues if they need to file their own legitimate claim for luggage issues, and leave the airline’s baggage claim department to decide which claim is real and which is fake.

How to properly discard of your baggage tag

Travelers should treat their baggage tag like an ID and not discard it like normal trash.

Don’t throw your tag away at the airport or even in your hotel room where someone could access it. Keep the tag until you are home and dispose of it by shredding it or cutting it up.

Similarly, boarding passes that contain personal information should also be disposed of at home.

Learn more about other travel-related scams.

Protect your identity while traveling

Even when you’re on vacation, LifeLock will work around the clock to monitor the web and your credit for suspicious activity, and alert you to any potential identity theft threats.

Exercise caution over your tags and other belongings containing personal information while traveling so you can spend your trip focused on fun and not on fraud.