There are a lot of things to hang on to when you’re flying.

You need your ID, all of your things, your boarding pass – and don’t forget you need to be able to take off your shoes and take your laptop out of the bag, too.

It’s not surprising that most travelers don’t really know or care what happens to their boarding pass once they’re on board the flight.

There is at least one reason, though, that you might want to put it somewhere safe next time.

And that’s because it could pose a serious risk as far as your personal security.

See, your boarding pass can tell someone a lot about you. It’s got your full name, when you’re plane is taking off, your flight number, your destination, and a barcode that contains a lot more.

It’s easy enough for a nefarious person to download a scanner app to their phone – for free, even. So, if they found a boarding pass left behind, or on social media, they could easily find out a whole lot about you.

For instance, you airline customer account number, which is linked to your frequent flier miles and other account details, like your email address and phone number.

They could even find at least the last four numbers of the credit card you used to purchase your ticket.

If they also have access to your social media, they could find answers to common security questions, like your pet’s names or your birthday, for example.

They could have enough information to call the airline and change your information, or get access to your full account.

If you do get a paper boarding pass, don’t leave it behind. Take it home and tear it or shred it before tossing it in the trash.

Whether you have a paper or electronic version, never post it on social media, especially not with a searchable hashtag.

Basically, you should always assume there are criminals out there waiting to take advantage.

Because there are.

If you enjoyed that story, check out what happened when a guy gave ChatGPT $100 to make as money as possible, and it turned out exactly how you would expect.