Photo source : Pexels
Written by Marc Weber Tobias
When you travel overseas there are three critical things that you need to protect: your personal safety, your identity documents, and money. While the security of other valuables that you carry is important, the consequences of having your identification papers stolen can cause you grave difficulty, delays, denial of boarding on ships and aircraft, and can even result in your inability to leave certain countries.
I was in St. Petersburg, Russia last week, a beautiful place that attracts millions of visitors a year. Like most major cities it is a prime target of criminals, placing travelers in jeopardy. There were repeated warnings everywhere about pickpockets and thieves. Losing our ID papers would be a big deal here. We were told at immigration that if we did not have our passport and visa, we would not be allowed to leave the country.
Pickpocketing is a very old crime but is as popular today as in the time of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. It is a covert theft that can require talent to execute. In the best scenario you will not even know that you are a victim until it is too late to act.
Who are the pickpockets and how do they work
The crime of pickpocketing involves deception, distraction and speed. It most often occurs in areas that are popular for tourists such as churches, museums, monuments, hotels, beaches, subways, trains, airports, special attractions, certain neighborhoods, at restaurants, parks, open-air markets and near ATMs. There are even apps for your iPhone that show known areas where thieves operate. One called BeSafe can be downloaded from iTunes.
Thieves, whether professional or opportunistic, often work in teams of up to four people. There is no physical trait or profile that identifies them other than their ability to distract, move quickly, act normally and be very adept with their hands. Age, gender, race, ethnicity and appearance can provide no indication or clue. And don’t be fooled by young kids: they are often part of gangs. Prostitutes, beggars, an apparent tourist, a drunk, or a street peddler all are used as part of a ruse of distraction.
Pickpockets have many tools and pretexts. Favored aids to theft include razor blades for slicing pockets or cutting straps on hanging items, or long tongs to reach into your purse or bag. The pretexts and scenarios to steal your valuables that are on your person or that you carry are creative and endless, but there is always a common theme: physical contact, access, and distraction. The professionals are very good at getting in, getting out, and disappearing in seconds.
The primary goal of any thief is to obtain valuables and get away with them without being caught so timing is everything. They time their thefts for a quick escape. Even if you discover seconds later that you have been robbed it is often too late. Remember, your lack of attention means vulnerability. Other than friends, family, and known individuals, assume everyone else is a potential thief.
Profile of a victim
A victim will be identified by thieves because they meet certain profiles. Here is my list of appearances and actions that may mark you for attack:
• Anyone that looks like they have something of value is vulnerable. Thieves target people with money, jewelry, electronics, designer bags or expensive items as well as identity documents and credit cards;
• Your awareness of being pickpocketed may be significantly lower than you think, and your tolerance for the unusual is often adjusted in your mind to your surroundings. Thus, being jostled or pushed on a subway would not be considered abnormal, but is the perfect cover for thieves;
• You are carrying open bags with a store label that denotes higher priced goods;
• You have outside pockets in backpacks or shoulder-carried tote bags;
• You leave a bag, purse, parcel, computer or anything next to you in a public place that is not protected;
• Your valuables are not within your field of vision;
• You have valuables in your rear pocket, or items hanging on your belt;
• You are an older tourist which may mean you are weaker to fend off an attack or less attentive or observant;
• You make yourself a snatch-and-grab victim with loose valuables;
• You are carrying a map in your hand;
• Appearing to be lost, or appear unsure of where you are walking to;
• Wearing shorts is often an indication that you are a tourist. In many countries they are not common attire by the locals;
• You are walking in known operating areas for thieves such as major metro stations;
• You are carrying a thick wallet, even in a front pocket without wearing security clothing;
• Your wallet or anything that you carry in your pockets can easily slip out by accident or be taken by thieves;
• You are carrying a purse that does not have a zipper but is open, or only kept together by magnets or Velcro.
Rules to protect yourself and your valuables when you travel
There are a number of actions you can take to help insure your personal safety and that of your valuables. Here are my suggestions:
• Use your common sense and always be cognizant of your surroundings;
• Remember that you can be a victim anywhere;
• Your passport is your most valuable asset because it is the key to money, credit cards, lodging and airlines. Protect it from theft. You usually do not need to carry it and should secure it in a locked safe in your hotel room, together with most of your credit cards and other than a small amount of cash;
• Beware of anyone that approaches you unless they are law enforcement. Interviewers, fund raisers, one or two persons asking directions and carrying a map, clipboard, notebook or tablet are always suspect because they can be a distraction and may look official;
• Reduce your exposure to thieves at ticket machines and while standing in lines;
• Ignore beggars and others that approach you;
• Remember, there is no free lunch. If someone points out something of value that has apparently fallen on the street and tries to give it to you or make a deal with you, walk away. It is likely a scam to engage you and then steal your property;
• Use only well-lit or very public ATMs. Do not speak with anyone while using the machine, nor accept anyone’s help in making a withdrawal. Cover the keypad with your hand so the PIN cannot be viewed. Watch for an extra card reader at the front of the machine or where you swipe your credit card. These readers are called skimmers and can capture the information on the magnetic stripe on the back of your credit card;
• Don’t confront thieves unless there are others around that may help you;
• It is a good idea to separate your money: larger from smaller denomination bills. Carry a change purse or second wallet;
• Use cable locks to secure your goods when you leave them, even for a minute when you are in a public place like a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, or airline lounge;
• Brand-name cameras, laptop bags, and purses: they all advertise desirability, value and an invitation to “steal me”;
• If you have a heavy coat you are at more risk because of the ease for a thief to insert his or her hand in your pocket without you feeling anything;
• Do not keep valuables in accessible pockets, back pockets or backpacks;
• Keep items in front of you for more visibility and control;
• Be very careful when getting in and out of taxis, especially when you are in a hurry. It is easy to forget stuff on the seat or floor, or your cell phone can fall out of your pocket or off your belt clip. If you do forget or lose something, report it immediately to the police. In London, for example, taxi drivers will receive a reward for turning in lost items within 24 hours;
• Use in-room safes or safe deposit boxes at hotels. But be sure that your hotel is reputable and that the safe has a keypad for locking, rather than a key lock which can be easily copied or decoded. Not all safes are secure. The best known brands are ElSafe and Saflok;
• Keep your hands covering critical pockets when in crowds to protect contents such as wallets and identity documents;
• Watch your bags and luggage on trains and be certain they are not accessible through open windows or on vestibules between train cars. Thieves will reach through windows or grab items through open doors;
• Lock your briefcase and luggage when you are carrying it with you or when you leave it in your hotel room;
• Be sure to have a cell phone that works and is authorized for international service even if you don’t think you will need it;
• Watch your cell phone, especially in poorer countries because these are valued commodities;
• Never take anything with you that you aren’t prepared to lose;
• Make sure you have no visible bulges on your clothing;
• Keep purses strapped to you across your body, not just on your shoulder or arm;
• Do not leave anything unzipped in your backpack or purse
• Do not carry any valuables behind your back;
• File a police report if you are a victim
• Notify the closest U.S. Embassy if your passport has been lost or stolen;
• Notify your credit card issuers and banks if your cards are missing;
• Do not place your belongings on the floor, counter, seat, chair or couch or anywhere else next to you, not even for one minute without someone watching out for you. Assume that you are under surveillance by thieves and they are just waiting for a single moment of lapse in your attention;
• Never put your phone on the table without placing your hand on it. They are easy targets. The same applies to credit cards and money;
• Never display or count money or open your wallet or purse in public;
• Once you put valuables in a secure pocket, do not continue to touch or check to confirm security. It is a red flag to thieves and gives them valuable intelligence of the fact that you have items to steal, and precisely where;
• Be certain that your purse has a relatively short shoulder strap that you can control and that the zipper is always in your view. Thieves can be very adept at unzipping purses and bags hanging behind you;
• Wear clothes with zipper and secondary strapped pockets or secret inside areas to protect valuables;
• Make everything of value difficult to access.
Prepare ahead of time that you could be a victim
Before you leave home, I would suggest the following preparations in the event that you become a victim:
• Put your itinerary on your calendar if you carry a smartphone;
• If you have a website, or use a service like Dropbox, consider uploading all of your critical documents including birth certificate, passport page, driver’s license, prescriptions, credit cards, insurance cards, and important or emergency phone numbers so you can access them from anywhere. You might also store a current medical Power of Attorney in case you need urgent medical treatment and are unable to give consent. You should also have a copy of these documents with you;
• Activate text or email alerts on the use of all of your credit cards and bank accounts before you leave the country;
• Notify your bank or credit card issuer that you will be overseas. Otherwise they may shut down your card for suspected fraudulent activity. Be sure they have a current phone number or email address to contact you to confirm purchases;
• Use passwords on all portable electronic devices and install or activate remote-wipe software if your phone or laptop is lost or stolen;
• Consider places to hide emergency money in your clothing before you leave. This may necessitate sewing an inside pocket. if the worst case happens you will have money to deal with it;
• Do not take more cash than you need. There are ATMs everywhere and multiple global networks that will allow you to withdraw cash virtually anywhere. If you use a debit card, make sure you can access it when outside of the United States. Some will not work in foreign countries;
• Consider obtaining a duplicate ATM card and storing it in your luggage;
• Select a travel jacket and pants that have secret pockets for storing money and identity documents;
• Carry an extra passport photograph;
• Memorize your telephone calling card number (if you have one) so you can always use a phone, especially if your cell phone is broken, stolen, or lost;
• Obtain the dialing access codes for the countries you are visiting from your cellular provider, otherwise you may not know how to dial back to the U.S. or to a local number;
• If you are carrying a computer or tablet, backpack, large purse, tote bag, or anything that you might want to set down by your table, chair or other temporary location, consider purchasing a computer cable lock, such as the Kensington ClickSafe. They will secure valuables if you have to go to the bathroom, talk to the waiter, or walk over to another area. These locks cannot be easily removed without a wire cutter and the locks cannot easily be manipulated open;
• Prepare a muggers wallet, which is a second one that is a decoy in case you are robbed or thieves target you. This wallet should have expired credit cards and a few dollar bills, so it looks real. Then, conceal your real wallet in a secret pocket that is not visible;
• Buy security clothing, such as special shirts, pants, underwear, money belts, fanny packs and other accessories. Companies like The Clever Travel Companion, Clothing Arts, and Stashware sell different items for men and women with secret or protected pockets and zippers. These clothes will help deter and prevent many types of thefts because the pockets are internal and often secured by both zippers and a secondary loop or strap;
• Ask your bank for a chip-and-pin credit card if you have not already been issued one. In Europe and most parts of the world many standard credit cards that only have magnetic stripes are not accepted for payment, especially at train and subway stations;
• Buy a wallet with a chain or attach one so it cannot be easily taken. In the alternative you should consider carrying a money clip;
• Learn the word “thief” and “help” in the foreign languages of the countries you will visit.
Summary
When you are a foreign traveler it means being in a strange place with valuables that may mark you as vulnerable. You should take steps to avoid the hassles and potential difficulties of losing your belongings and identification documents. Preparation ahead of time is the key as well an awareness of your surroundings and what precautions to take. Pickpockets should always be a concern but with the proper preparation you can increase your odds of not being one of their victims.
Article source : Forbes
