So you’re a travel theft victim — now what?

Your hotel room has been burglarized. What now?

In the first two articles of this series on travel theft, 10 tips to protect valuables from travel theft and 10 tips for preventing identity theft when you travel, I discussed travel theft prevention. But sometimes, no matter what you do or how careful and observant you are, you may become a travel theft victim.

I know about this firsthand. Last month I was a credit card account theft victim myself, apparently from having a meal in a restaurant.

If you’re the victim of travel property theft, write down a detailed list of what’s missing. Most people find actually writing the list will jog their memory, to help make the list as complete as possible. It also ensures your report to the police and your insurance company will contain the same information.

Report the crime to the local police as soon as possible. In some locations that may be difficult, but it’s important to do so, if you can, as most insurance companies require a police report to accept your claim. You probably can get help from your hotel to contact the local police.

If after your flight, your luggage or packed belongings are missing, you must report it immediately to the airline. Many airlines require missing luggage to be reported prior to you leaving the airport. If you’ve used products such as PrivaSeals, or TSA approved locks, before you leave the airport, note if they indicate someone’s opened your luggage. If your bag’s been opened, check for missing belongings before you leave the airport.

After reporting the theft to the police, report it to your insurance company. The sooner you make that report, the sooner you’ll get a claim check. You may need value documentation later, but get the claims process going early on. Insurance companies are very leery of claims filed late. Most homeowners, and renters insurance, will at least partly cover your travel property, but the extent to which you’re covered depends upon your insurance carrier and your specific policy. In general, I think you’ll find your coverage decidedly limited.

Before you travel, check with your home insurance company to determine what coverage you have. In addition, consider travel insurance which includes theft provisions, especially if you’ll be on a extensive trip, taking belongings which have significant value.

Kevin Coffee offers excellent information about travel insurance for luggage and personal belongings. Note that most homeowners policies, as well as travel policies, limit travel jewelry coverage to $600 or less aggregate, and any item to $300, so as I’ve counseled in the past, leave your good jewelry and other valuables at home, unless they’re essential. If you’ve got to take valuable items, haul them in your carry-on.

A friend while traveling on the Continent a few years ago got a call on his cell phone from Citibank that his credit card was compromised, and last month, here in the US, I got a similar call. More and more we hear horror stories of credit, credit card, and identity theft. Travel can really open up identity theft opportunities.

Just like at home, while away, I use my laptop as a “security tool.” I regularly check the activity of my credit card and bank accounts on the Internet while traveling, looking for unauthorized transactions. If someone has gained access to your accounts, early detection can minimize the potential damage to your identity and credit.

If you detect an illegitimate transaction, call your bank or card issuer immediately to inform them of the problem, and review all recent transactions (at least the last week or so) with them to see if there are others which haven’t yet appeared in your account on the Internet (sometimes your account record is a few days behind).

Cancel your credit, debit, or ATM card, and/or close your account if there is any unauthorized activity. I always take two different credit cards with me when I travel, plus an ATM card, solely for cash withdrawals, just in case that happens. When I had to cancel my credit card account last month, due to a snafu at the card issuer, it took four days to get my new card. You don’t want to be without a credit card for that long on a trip, if you can avoid it.

If you only encounter trouble with a single credit or debit card, it’s likely that only your credit card or debit card/bank account was compromised, but if you find illegitimate transactions in more than one account, or if you find you’re denied credit, or receive an unexpected request for credit or personal information from a legitimate company, then your identity may have been compromised and additional steps must be taken as soon as possible.

If you believe your identity has been compromised, even while traveling, contact your home police department and make a report. If you’re away, tell them when you return you’ll come make an in-person report, but get things started right away.

Get a crime reference number from the police. Contact the organizations which have been defrauded immediately, and one of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. Keep a record of all conversations you have with anyone about your identity problem, and copies of any letters sent or received. It may take time while you’re traveling to do this, but you will be better off not waiting.

When you get home, continue working on this problem. Boston.com has an excellent checklist of actions you should take in case of identity theft.

Don’t forget, before you leave on your trip:

1. Call your credit card companies and tell them when and where you’re traveling. This will help them detect fraud in your accounts. If you’ll be using your cell phone while you travel, give them your number so they can contact you in case of a problem while you’re away.
2. Gather the telephone numbers of your insurance companies, banks, credit and debit card issuers, home police department, etc. so you’ll have them if needed. If you’re traveling out of the country, 800 numbers won’t work, so have their regular numbers in that circumstance.

While I hope you are never the victim of travel theft, if it occurs, quick action on your part can minimize the damage and perhaps help you to not allow the theft to ruin your business trip or vacation.