Many holiday goers are tempted to post a photo showing off their trip, starting with a picture of their boarding pass and passport at the airport.
Or they may simply choose to keep the pass as a keepsake of the trip or chuck it in the bin when they get home.
However, all of these choices could cause problems to the travellers leading to their personal information being stolen.
By doing any one of them, it could lead to them being the victims of fraud further down the line.
Security news site KrebsOnSecurity explained just how many problems it could really cause.
The barcode on the boarding pass reveals much more than travellers may have realised.
The article wrote: “That data included details of future travel, the ability to alter or cancel upcoming flights, and a key component need to access the traveller’s frequent flyer account.”
Whilst this may not seem like it gives much personal information, it can be used to access intimate details.
The website also explains how, using a British Airways boarding pass as an example, just the six-digit booking code on it could lead to more information.
They state a fraudster could then “cancel future flights, and view or edit his friend’s passport number, citizenship, expiration date and date of birth.”
By having all of that information, a person could then become the victim of identity fraud.
With some apps even being able to extract some of the information from the barcode, it makes for a worrying look at the risk it poses.
Passengers should always avoid posting images of their boarding pass as any of the information can be used.
It is also worth shredding it when returning home, or if wanting to keep it, putting it in a safe location.
However, boarding passes could soon be scrapped altogether.
Airports in the US are now trialling biometrics and facial recognition to replace the need for the paper ticket.
