Stop exposing your personal info when you travel !!!

Most travelers don't think twice about a luggage tag. But if that luggage tag has your full name, home address or phone number you are doing more than tagging a suitcase, you are providing identifiable information in a public space.

There are countless people in airports, train stations, or bus terminals who can look at your luggage.
And, as one traveler discovered, not everyone will take that information and use it for good.
this is when a stranger messages you from your luggage tag

From travel dream to nightmare

In late 2023, a woman named Kirsten went viral on TikTok for sharing a surprisingly uncomfortable experience. While at the airport, she received a text message from a stranger who had read her phone number from her luggage tag.

"Hey, I saw your number on your bag. You looked cute in the terminal."

That is not what they call a meet cute. It is a violation of her privacy.

Her tag also had her full name and address. She later stated she did not think twice about it - until it happened. The story was reported all over the media, from People to Fox News.

It’s easy to say this was a one-time thing. But similar events to Kirsten’s are becoming increasingly frequent, revealing a simple truth: paper tags are just plain dangerous.

What your luggage tag is silently revealing to anyone who’s looking

Most paper tags have a lot more information than is necessary:

• Your full name
• Your mobile number
• Your home address
• Sometimes even your email address

That may seem like useful information in the unfortunate situation that you lose your bag, but in the right (or wrong) hands it makes identity theft, stalking, and fraud easy.

And it is worse: it is not only at the airport. Buses, trains, taxis, and hotel shuttles are all places where you may leave your bag unattended, but visible.

This concern extends beyond the individual

Security researchers have discovered, for example, some "found-and-lost" management apps and sites gather and store personal information with limited safeguards. In 2023, over 820,000 traveler records were publicly disclosed when lost luggage databases were exposed.

To be cynical, these deals usually don't stem from airlines, they often originate from manual data entry related to visible tags. While intended as good faith, people handling your luggage could be passing your details into less secure hands.

Airlines and stations are not protecting your privacy

Airlines and transit systems do not need to know everything about you. Yet old habits remain.

We still want you to fill out a cardboard tag and identify, for everyone to see, along with the visible tag on your bag or suitcase. Why is that when technically, we could be using more current tools that could do this in a much safer way?

It's time for something better.

Qroco.app is a digital alternative to traditional luggage tags. It’s really easy:

• You create and print a secure QR code
• You put it on your bag
• When someone scans it, you receive a notification with details such as location, device type, and phone brand (useful for reporting abuse if needed)
• If the scan seems legitimate, the person is asked to provide their contact information. Once they do, you’ll get a second notification with their details.
• From there, you can either contact them directly, or accept their request to share your personal info (like your email or phone number) .

For every type of traveler

Whether or not you are vacationing internationally or just taking a train across town, qroco works anywhere for Suitcases, Backpacks, Camera bags, Kids luggage, Instrument cases, Work equipment and it takes only 2 minutes to set up.

one small change makes a big impact to protect your privacy

If you want to walk around with your phone number taped to your back, then why would it be ok to put it on your bag?

Kirsten's story is a real eye opener - and she is not the only one. What seems like a convenient travel habit could end up being putting you at risk.