Will you be robbed on holiday?
By Nicholas Lee on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Travellers are always targets for robbers, be it a pickpocket, or a break in at your accommodation. I have laid out some tips here to limit the risk of you becoming a victim. Do not flash the cash, this is the most common and ignored advice and applies especially if you are travelling to a poorer country.

Will you be robbed on holiday?

Only carry the amount of money you need

Think about the money you carry. I have seen people in the Gambia open there wallets or purse and you see well over £100 sitting there in a country with an average wage of under £20 a week, 2 months’ salary in your wallet is a strong pull. Only take what you need.

Be careful what you carry

Same goes for what you carry, that expensive camera and video camera was a great buy in the sale, and so was your watch and the jewellery you wear. Just think what you have on your person could be worth over a year’s wages in a poor country.

Use the accommodations’ safe, sounds simple but do not forget to put things in the safe.

Credit Card fraud

According to ABTA and Retail Decisions (ReD), card fraud will be the biggest crime this summer. Here is some advice from ABTA and ReD, along with a few tips of my own. British travellers are most at risk due to the fact our cards are valuable, and therefore vulnerable as they tend to have the highest credit limits.

Highest risk destinations

Ghana, Nigeria, Indonesia, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Egypt, Dominican Republic. However crime can happen anywhere.

Before you leave home

All travellers should make a note of both there card numbers and the contact number in case of emergencies and leave these in safe keeping with a trusted friend. Better yet take a photocopy of both sides of your card. Of course NEVER give your pin numbers to anyone.

Contact your bank before you travel and inform them of your plans.

What should I look out for overseas

- Shoulder surfing at ATM’s, this occurs when someone tries to watch you enter your pin.
- Do not let your card out your sight; go to the pay point in restaurants etc.
- Never leave your card to run a tab.
- If you believe something has happened to your card contact your bank straight away.

Check your bank statements

Check your statements, if you do not recognise a transaction inform your bank. Sometimes a small transaction are put though your card as a test or to avoid the banks fraud detection software.

Use a travel payment card

Use a travel payment card these have several advantages. First if your card is stolen funds can be replaced. If you lose your bank card it is gone and you have no access to money. Travel payment cards are not connected to your bank account or credit history so it limits frauds done that way. Finally they come in different currencies so you can set your exchange rate before you travel.

Lastly do not think it cannot happen to you, be aware of what is happening and take out travel insurance.

Thanks to Nick for his excellent guest post today, giving consumer travel tips. Nick has worked for independent and multiple travel agents as well as a tour operator. He served on ABTA Eastern Board and currently runs his own independent travel agency for over 15 years.


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9 responses to “Will you be robbed on holiday?”

Jp | 29 July, 2010 at 1:33 am

Keep your wits about you and don’t flaunt your money, and you should be fine.

People get too worried about this stuff and wind up being paranoid their whole trip. Just relax and have fun. If you notice something unusual, move away or report it.

Oh, and maybe don’t go Mexico.

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Martin Rothwell | 29 July, 2010 at 10:17 am

Good post Darren. Everyone reading it will obviously have bought travel insurance and will threfore be protected (we would hope), but worth bearing in mind the limit for valuables on travel insurance policies averages around £1,250 to £1,500 and the limit for a single article might be £200 so if you are carrying expensive items dont rely on your insurance to cover them.

It’s better to utilise an “all risks” extension on your household policy if you want to cover that Digital SLR or diamond engagement ring. As for cash, most travel insurance policies have limits and will only cover you whilst it is on your person or in a safety deposit box.

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Jeanne Byington | 30 July, 2010 at 9:20 pm

Pay special attention if someone is causing a disturbing, distracting noise. We were followed by a young woman trailing a noisy, enormous suitcase on wheels that made a horrible noise on the cobblestones our first night in Madrid. To get away from this horrible noise, we crossed the street–several times. We were jet lagged and not alert and my husband knew the very second his wallet was lifted with no money but credit cards, driver’s license and passport–too late!

On the same trip, we crossed paths with a man in Venice making rediculous stomping noises as he walked. We held on to everything and got away from him fearing the same setup!

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Giulia | 11 August, 2010 at 9:57 am

I’m totally agree with Jeanne, this can also happen in buses or metro: one person (an adult but it can also be a child) distract you and the other steals your wallet. And do not forget that the Hotel is usually not responsible for money/jewels/objects left outside the safe. Pay attention!

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markin | 12 August, 2010 at 7:50 pm

Problems are in any country. The main thing to remain on the alert

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Susan | 13 August, 2010 at 3:54 am

I think it is so easy to forget that what looks like monopoly money to you as a tourist is very real to the locals. While on a trolley in my home town, I watched tourists (from Sweden, I think) thumb through their dollar bills (probably counting it). They had nothing to worry about from me, but I was concerned for them.

On the other hand, while sitting at a table in Bewley’s in Dublin, I had a stranger warn me to hold on to my “wallet” (actually was a little digital camera in a leather camera case). Took me by surprise, but was glad locals there were looking out for tourists.

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Heather | 14 August, 2010 at 4:45 pm

My firend had her purse pickpocketed from her bag while we were on holiday in the Costa Del Sol, Spain recently – it was an evening when there was a local fiesta and we should have known that the pick pockets would be out and about. Our local friends told us that they only want cash and will then throw everything else away but that doesn’t help if you’ve lost personal items as well as the inconvenience of spending your morning at the police station the next day.

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Cara | 25 August, 2010 at 12:10 am

I just returned from a trip throughout the Mediterranean, including Tunisia, Malta, Florence and parts of Spain. Obviously the busiest destinations in these places are the most worry some for pick pocketing being that people are surrounding you. One thing that my family and I did throughout the trip was keep our backpack, with valuables within, on the front of our bodies so we could always see it. This was a great way to eliminate the stress of being in these great places so that we could focus on the scenery!

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Darren Cronian | 25 August, 2010 at 11:27 am

@ Caira – Thanks for the comment. Good tip!

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