Avoid Cons, Scams And Thefts On Holidays Or Vacations
Whenever you travel on commercial air flights, or by trains and buses, you have to go through either an airport, train station, or bus station. This can present problems for unsuspecting travelers who are on vacations or holidays, because these are the places where pickpockets and thieves love to operate. There are many things that you can do to avoid becoming a victim when traveling on vacation and holiday, most of which are common sense. Here are some travel tips that can help.
Don’t wear jewelry or an expensive looking watch as that is an invitation to be robbed.
Wear a money belt under you shirt or blouse to help foil pickpockets as well as muggers. It is a good idea to put your things in a Ziploc type bag and then put the bag in your money belt. The reason for this is that the money belt and the items in it will get soaked from your perspiration, especially in hot climates, and this will help keep them dry. Do not open your money belt in public to take out credit cards, cash, or traveler’s checks.
Before you leave on a vacation or holiday, it might be worth it to sew a few pockets on the inside of your slacks, skirts, or underclothing where you can carry some spare cash when you are out and about for the day. If you are carrying cash, traveler’s checks, or credit cards on your person, you should divide them up and put them in different pockets. That way if a pickpocket is successful, he or she won’t get everything. It also makes sense to use a safety pin to make each pocket opening smaller so that a pickpocket will have difficulty pulling anything out of your pockets without you being aware of it.
When you notice a number of children gathering around you in the street and causing a commotion, you are likely being targeted by pickpockets who are using children to distract you. If a few of the locals start a shoving and yelling match near you, they might be a diversion for a pickpocket. Another distraction is to have someone fall down in front of you. When you stoop over to help them, the pickpocket goes to work. A variation involves a couple of thieves working together, one dropping some ice cream, ketchup or mustard on one of your shoulders and then distracting you by pointing to the mess and helping you to wipe it off. The other pickpocket then goes into action.
Pickpockets prefer to target men with their wallets temptingly exposed in their back pockets, as well as obese people because they are less likely to feel their pockets being picked. You must be especially vigilant in airports, bus and railroad stations and watch your luggage, camera, and laptop like a hawk as they can disappear in second. Keep in mind that pickpockets love tourists, especially when they are in large crowds.
Be vigilant when you are wearing a backpack. Thieves may slash the bottom of it, spilling all the contents onto the street where he and his accomplices grab your possessions and run away in different directions.
Usually muggings occur at night and not in a busy, bustling part of the city. If you are accosted by an armed robber, do not argue or resist. Give them what they want and be thankful that you don’t get hurt. Whatever they take from you can be replaced and is not worth risking your life over.
After reading Bob Arno’s book on how people can avoid thefts, cons, and street scams, we felt that it would be a valuable book for anyone who goes on vacation, or travels for business, to also read. It is full of information and photos that show you how many scams work. There is no limit as to what criminals can think of to steal and rip-off from unsuspecting tourists.
Bob is one of the world’s best experts on identity theft, scams, and cons. If you are interested in learning how to protect yourself when on holidays and vacations as well as at home, you may want to read his book, “Travel Advisory! How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams While Traveling”. You may be able to find it at your local library.
He has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, ABC’s 20/20, The Travel Channel, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and has numerous articles written about him in USA Today, National Geographic Traveler, Fortune Magazine, Time Magazine, and The New York Times.
His book is full of humor, true stories, as well as many photos of pickpockets and street scam artists in action. In our opinion, his book is worth its weight in gold, and is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves and their family when traveling, and even in their own home town.
a relaxing, laid-back holiday, visit Travel Tips Guide for more information.
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