Summertime is the prime time for travel, sightseeing and outdoor events, which often mean crowds. You pass by multitudes of unknown people without a second thought. With people coming and going so quickly in a crowded atmosphere, it becomes quite likely that – with a little sleight of hand – they may relieve you of your wallet or other valuables then disappear into a crowd.
Here are a few tips – signs to watch for, and ways to avoid becoming a victim.
- If a stranger tries to point something out to you, to cause you to look in another direction, be wary that they may be taking that opportunity to snatch something from you while you’re distracted.
- Thieves can be very elaborate in their schemes. That might even involve working with a team of like-minded individuals. If there is a sudden commotion in the area near you, it may be the work of criminals trying to distract – running interference, let’s say – while a colleague of theirs swoops in the commit the actual crime.
- If you are carrying a purse or a handbag, have one that zips or clasps closed so there is no way for a thief to simply and discreetly reach in and yoink away your belongings. Or just spring for an actual anti-theft bag. But really, any kind of barrier between a thief and your stuff, even the very simple, can make you a much less likely victim.
- Never carry a wallet, credit card, money, or your phone in your back pocket. None of us really have eyes in the back of our heads. We want everything in front of us.
- If you are a tourist, understand it makes you a target and “successful” criminals know how to identify you as such. You’re carrying mobile devices with which you are clearly capturing your sightseeing digitally. This is just enough distraction for them to make their move. Perhaps you have a bag full of souvenirs, making you an even more attractive target.
- As much as possible, leave those valuable souvenirs, your passports, and unneeded devices in your hotel room, Airbnb, or wherever you’re staying. Unfettered by “stuff” you will be much more able to move about with agility and enjoy your experiences. It turns out theft by hotel staff is not very common. It’s simply not tolerated. Hotels want people to stay there. They want a good reputation. Put your things away in a drawer though, or a safe box if it’s offered. Just because.
- There are some types of theft set-ups and scams that are so specific to a location or a city that they come up regularly in a Google search. So do a search specific to your destination before your trip. You may find specifically what words or actions to watch for.
- Scam the scammers by carrying a “fake [re: empty] wallet” in the most visible, accessible place possible. So if and when they snatch it, they quickly run away, but with almost nothing to show for it other than a cheap wallet. Meanwhile, the goods are stashed away safely elsewhere.
- Be discreet about your stuff. Just because you don’t notice a pickpocket hanging around doesn’t mean they don’t see you. Like we said earlier, they already have ways of identifying a good victim. You don’t want to give them anymore to work with. For example, don’t pat your pockets to check whether your [real] wallet is where you think it is. Because, yes, you’ll reassure yourself of where it is, but you’ll also confirm it for the pickpocket.
- Get a hard-shelled wallet to block RFID skimming devices. Some of the real high-tech criminal masterminds will have devices by which they can swipe your identity through your credit cards/IDs simply by walking past you. But with this, you can nip that one in the bud too.
- Always take pictures of the expensive items you took with you, should you need to make an insurance claim on them.
Having said all this, try to relax and have fun. You are on vacation, after all.