Tag Archives: safety

Thefts at beaches and pools increase during the busy vacation season when tourists and locals flock to the water. Most beachgoers leave their wallets, cell phones, cameras or other valuables while they go for a swim or walk along the shore hoping that they’ll be there when they return. Most think they don’t have an alternative but to leave their property unattended or guarded. Some are clever enough to “hide” their valuables under a towel, but in a blink of an eye, their property can be picked up and gone. The quick and low-cost solution is to pack and use a waterproof waist pack or waterproof neck pouch you wear while swimming to protect and keep your gear near.

If you have a lounge chair then a packable and portable beach safe or locking beach tote like the anti-theft Coolbag Tote you can tether to the lounge chair are great solutions because you can use them in other locations such as your hotel room to secure valuables too.

Thefts at beaches – also called beach blanket thefts, happen all around the world. The more crowded the beach, the higher the rate of theft. The problem tends to be more pronounced outside of the US at beaches which attract many people. One example is in Rio de Janeiro, where in years past it was not unusual to see gangs of young people suddenly sweep over the beach, snatching up phones, bags, and valuables and then scattering in all directions with their loot making it difficult for authorities to capture them.

Video of Beach Thefts in Rio de Janeiro

The no-cost solution for protecting your gear water-side is to head to the beach with at least another person so someone can always keep watch of valuables while the other is in the water, but this is not always the most fun or practical way to enjoy the water.

100% Waterproof Invisible Travel Waist Pouch

Waterproof Waist Pack Keeps Valuables Dry

Water-Proof Body Pouches
Do you think the best way to protect your valuables while swimming, snorkeling, or jogging along the shoreline is to have them on you? The newest styles of waterproof gear are extremely reliable and rated for water-fastness. No soggy passports or ruined phones! And with so many styles to choose from you’re bound to find one just the right style of waterproof pouch to make your next water adventure worry-free.

Travel Advisories are always being updated by the U.S. State Department. It’s important to know which destinations are on the DO NOT TRAVEL list for your safety and security. The U.S. State Department updates destinations regularly with a Travel Advisory Level.

TRAVEL ADVISORY LEVEL DETAILS

Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions: This is the lowest advisory level for safety and security risk. There is some risk in any international travel. Conditions in other countries may differ from those in the United States and may change at any time.

Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution: Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.

Level 3 – Reconsider Travel: Avoid travel due to serious risks to safety and security. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.

Level 4 – Do Not Travel: This is the highest advisory level due to the greater likelihood of life-threatening risks. During an emergency, the U.S. government may have very limited ability to provide assistance. The Department of State advises that U.S. citizens not travel to the country or leave as soon as it is safe to do so. The Department of State provides additional advice for travelers in these areas in the Travel Advisory. Conditions in any country may change at any time.

It’s critical when planning any trip abroad to check the Travel Advisories for your intended destination. The World-at-a-Glance map is color-coded to further help travelers. If you’re traveling to a certain location, you can find the locations of the Embassies and Consulates as well.

If you’re a first-time traveler, it’s especially important to be informed on the safety of your destination.

In February 2018, the current list shows the following countries on the Do Not Travel list:

Afghanistan

Central African Republic

TRAVEL ADVISORY LEVELS

The Travel Advisories also provide clear reasons for the level assigned, using established risk indicators, and offer specific advice to U.S. citizens who choose to travel there:

C – Crime: Widespread violent or organized crime is present in areas of the country. Local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.

T – Terrorism: Terrorist attacks have occurred and/or specific threats against civilians, groups, or other targets may exist.

U – Civil Unrest: Political, economic, religious, and/or ethnic instability exists and may cause violence, major disruptions, and/or safety risks.

H – Health: Health risks, including current disease outbreaks or a crisis that disrupts a country’s medical infrastructure, are present. The issuance of a Centers for Disease Control Travel Notice may be a factor.

N – Natural Disaster: A natural disaster, or its aftermath, poses danger.

E – Time-limited Event: A short-term event, such as an election, sporting event, or another incident that may pose a safety risk.

O – Other: There are potential risks not covered by previous risk indicators. Read the country’s Travel Advisory for details.

The Travel Advisories for each country replace previous Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts.

Be prepared with the best anti-theft travel gear for your next trip by visiting Corporate Travel Safety.

Shop Travelon Classic Backpack

There are two primary things you must do to avoid theft and protect your valuables when visiting tourist locations or encountering large crowds. One, you need to be alert to your surroundings. Be alert to people trying to distract with questions or performances. Children and women are equally as skillful as men are when it comes to distraction and thievery. Distracted tourists looking at sights or talking to “friendly” strangers are easy and lucrative targets. They know travelers have cash, valuables, a phone, and potentially even a laptop in a backpack. Second, you need to protect your valuables so that thieves can’t access them when they do target you. Thwart their efforts with pickpocket proof travel gear. The bonus is you are a little more relaxed knowing your gear is safe.

AVOID THEFT IN CROWD DISTURBANCES

Travelon Heritage Backpack

A disturbance in a large crowd is oftentimes a way for thieves to bump into targets to steal valuables. It can take only a second or two to steal your wallet from your pocket, a handbag, or a backpack. To eliminate the opportunity from becoming a victim, both men and women need to be smart about the approach of strangers. When a disturbance or disagreement breaks out, hold onto your valuables, handbag, and wallet until the disturbance is completely over and you are away from the crowd. The same thing goes for if you’re watching street performers, enjoy the show, but know where and how you’re protecting your valuables first.

PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES TO AVOID THEFT

These are a few simple tips to keep your items out of the hands of thieves while you’re in a crowd.

Wear pants with buttoned or zippered pockets to prevent pickpockets from stealing items from those pockets. Turn regular pockets into theft proof pockets by having velcro sewn inside the very top of the pocket.
Only keep a small amount of money, one credit card, and one ID in your wallet.
Never publicly check your valuables because a thief may be watching you and will them know which pocket to target.
A smooth leather wallet is the easiest to slide out from a pocket and steal so use an anti-theft wallet.

AVOID THEFT BY PICKPOCKETS

Do not carry your wallet in an open handbag or tote bag without a zipper. Use the zipper to keep your bag closed, and never place it on the ground. If you must, straddle it with both feet and squeeze it tight until you are ready to pick it up.
Use a handbag with anti-theft features, that is more difficult to open than a regular bag.
A crossbody purse, where the straps lay diagonally across your body, is a visual deterrent to thieves.

Never leave your handbag unattended in a tourist spot, crowded concert, grocery store, or streetside flea market. The point is not to tempt anyone either.

BE PREPARED IN CASE YOU BECOME A VICTIM OF THEFT

Keep a copy of your ID, passport, credit cards, and airline tickets in the safe of your room or accessible via the internet in a password-protected document or file.
Consider leaving expensive jewelry at home or reducing the amount of jewelry you wear.
Carry your cash in a money belt. Newer style underclothing money belts fit passports and have built-in anti-theft features too.

This is a traditional Travel Money Belt that is Airport Security-Friendly Won’t Set off Alarm & Hides Bills

Use an RFID blocking protection backpack, handbag, or wallet to protect your identity from e-thieves.
If using a rental car and you can’t carry your valuables with you, hide them inside the trunk or in a locked glove compartment and always lock your car.

Taking just a few precautions to protect your valuables will give you peace of mind on your next trip.

Simple Safety and Security Advice When Making Hotel Reservations

After you pick the location for your next hotel stay, savvy travelers recommend you do two things when making hotel reservations to ensure a more relaxing stay.

First, you need to give security some thought, even if you’re staying at a top resort. Next, you should make your personal requests known in advance. Here’s why.

Security Priorities

Request a hotel room in the “safest room zone”
That’s defined as a room on the second floor or higher, but below the 6^th in case there is a fire and the fire department needs to reach you. A room on the ground floor that has doors or windows that open to the outside is riskier especially in the case of motels, rooms off parking lots, or if you like to sleep with an open window.

Who else can access your room?
Pack a portable travel door lock. You never know if there are extra keys, key cards or pass keys out there that can open your hotel room while you are inside. You’ll sleep more soundly knowing your room is truly locked.

Identity theft happens most frequently in hotels
According to Experian, identity theft crimes took place most commonly in hotels (24 percent), restaurants (18 percent) and followed by airports (12 percent). Guard your credit cards, ID, and passport when you travel. Do not give out your credit card number to someone calling your room, even if they say they are calling from the front desk. Do not use the open WiFi connection or business center computers to conduct personal business or anything requiring a password protecting personal data.

How safe is the room safe?
A common place you leave items with your personal information while you are away from the room is the room safe. All hotel safes have a bypass code or way to open them in case a guest forgets their passcode or if the safe’s electronics fail. Theft from a room safe is virtually unprovable. Consider a safe lock that works to discourage and stop would be thieves. There’s a lot of peace of mind right there.

Personal Request for Comfort and Convenience

Room location
Do you want to be close to the pool, lobby or an elevator? Have the hotel reservations agent mark your preference in your reservation at the time of booking (try to get that room between the 2nd and 6th floor.)

Room amenities
Do you want more pillows or special hypo-allergenic pillows? Ask for them at the time of booking so that housekeeping can place them in your room before your arrival or as soon as you arrive. The same goes for extra towels or a bathrobe. Make sure your preferences are noted in your booking record and then confirm at the check-in desk even before going to your room. This prevents you from having to open the door to someone else.

Be hands-free and worry-free at the pool or gym

If you plan on lounging by the hotel pool or beach, bring a portable pool or beach safe to secure valuables you leave behind when swimming or walking around. Knowing your valuables are close and secure will let you enjoy your activities more without carrying your phone, room key, etc. with you or taking turns guarding the “stuff.”

Most importantly, confirm that your security and comfort preferences are noted in your hotel reservation 24 hours before you arrive by speaking to someone at the front desk, not the reservation center. While asking for special accommodations does not guarantee that you’ll always get them, but by speaking to a person on the property does up your chances. If they do accommodate you be sure to thank them in person for their effort, and they may continue to help you out throughout your stay.

Personal safety practices once you’re at the hotel

Read the below article Must Read Hotel Safety Tips on personal security practices once you arrive at a hotel. It’s worth the read

One of the most liberating benefits of modern technology is the mobility and flexibility it gives us. Stay connected on vacation for fun, or even to sneak a peek at office emails if you must. If you’re out of the office for work, you won’t be out of the loop thanks to technology. All you need to do is carry your laptop, mobile phone or tablet and you’re plugged in. However, along with that comes vulnerability and risks.

If you are not careful about how and where you use your devices, you may end up having a vacation data disaster! The data lost may be personal in nature like your family’s pictures on the beach, or it could be business related to your profession. There are many ways you can lose data from your devices when away from home. Data could be simply lost due to carelessness which damages the hard drive. While vacationing, laptops and hard drives can face a relatively harsher climate than what you have in your home or office. Whether you are camping, trekking, doing road trips or simply lying on the beach or by the pool extreme variations in temperature and moisture, exposure to sunlight and sand and mechanical jolts and rough handling all make your hardware prone to crash. Mobile phones and tablets can accidentally get dropped in swimming pools; you get the picture.

Besides different environments which can impact data, theft of laptops and phones is the number one reason data is lost. Laptops are stolen mainly from airports, hotels, restaurants, and crowded locations such as subways and train stations. It is no coincidence that these busy locations are where the majority of thieves target their victims. It’s not only the price of the laptop they are interested in. Sometimes the data inside could be valuable as well. The wi-fi provided in most hotels, and cyber cafes are not secure, and almost anyone can have access to your data if they want. By gaining access inside your hard drive, they can delete and manipulate your programs and access your passwords which could also provide entry to business sites.

So what should you do? As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Don’t let your laptop or phone out of your sight.

Tips on How to Protect Data When Traveling

Don’t ever leave your valuables unattended in a hotel room or car.
Lock them up in room hotel safe, even if you plan to be out of your room for just a few minutes.
Use a portable travel safe to secure them in a vehicle, hotel room or by the pool.
Transfer data to a flash drive or portable media device and lock it up.
Backup to the cloud regularly.
Carry your devices in a travel bag, day bag, or purse with anti-theft features.
Wear your bag crossbody style when in a crowd.

Physically protecting your devices is the number one data theft prevention activity. Regularly changing your passwords and updating your antivirus software are also good practices. Encryption is generally more reliable than passwords and should be used if the data is very sensitive to theft. Even if the data is lost, the thief will have a very hard time gaining access to it.

Lastly, before you leave home, make copies of all your important, irreplaceable files and store them safely at home, or even the cloud is now an important option too. A physical document organizer for your passport and credit cards will also come in handy.

Lastly, arrange your laptop and mobile phone data in such a way that it’s easier to backup and retrieve in case of loss like putting related documents in one folder. Make these practices habits and you’ll worry less, and enjoy your travels more.

When meeting planners are asked about their emergency plans, they often say, “I never thought of that,” Detective Kevin Coffey told participants of Northstar Meetings Group’s Destination Caribbean event, taking place this week at the Westin Grand Cayman. But given the tragic events of the past couple of years, he said, “more have realized they need to take an in-depth look at this.”

In his 35 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, Coffey was a pioneer in travel-crime investigations and founded the LAPD’s Airport Crimes Investigations Detail. He is now one of the country’s leading experts on travel and meetings risk, conducting training, and consulting for global organizations. Read More…

Cell phone theft is something to be concerned about both at home and especially when traveling. Imagine losing your method of communication, photos, images of your passport stored on your phone, and other private information including all your contacts!

Watch these videos of cell phones being stolen. Learn from watching thefts so you don’t become a victim. After watching the videos read on for tips and advice for keeping your cell phone on your person and out of the hands of thieves and con artists.

These short videos captured actual cell phone thefts in action. See how easy it is to steal an expensive cell phone. Some of these cell phone theft videos show snatch and run thefts, and others you may have to watch a few times to see the exact moment a skilled distraction thief steals the victim’s phone while the thief is talking directly to the victim.

Video # 1 Fake petition – cell phone theft scam

Video # 2 Two female thieves stealing an iPhone from a restaurant table

Video # 3 Team of female pickpockets using a young 7-year-old child to steal an iPhone

Video # 4 Cell phone theft on a Hungarian subway

Here are a few tips to help keep your cell phone safe from theft while traveling

1. Know Your Surroundings

Situational awareness is very important when it comes to preventing the theft of cell phones. As you saw by many If you’re thinking of using your phone in a public place, take a look around. As you saw in the videos, cell phone thieves look for people who are not paying attention to their surroundings.

2. Cell Phone Anti-Theft Carry and Storage Options

Sometimes you need to safeguard your cell phone, but don’t know where to store it because you don’t want to carry a travel bag, purse, or you are wearing shorts or pants that don’t have pockets. Here are a few anti-theft cell phone bags and gear to help you keep your phone secure when it’s not in use.

At The Beach

When you’re at the beach, where can you store your phone? Consider one of a number of waterproof cell phone pouches that will do the trick. From waterproof waist packs, waterproof cell phone cases, waterproof neck, belt, or armbands will let you take your phone with you and keep it dry. If you don’t want to keep it on your person there are many secure options such as portable beach and pool safes, locking beach bags, as well as small portable safes that secure to your beach or lounge chair.

Cell Phone Security Pouches for When Your Pants or Shorts Don’t Have Pockets

If you don’t have pockets, and you don’t want to carry a purse or travel bag, you have several options to carry your cell phone and other small valuables. The Tube Wearable Waistband is a stretchy fabric waistband that you wear around your waist under your shirt and has several pockets that will hold your phone. Women have several cell phone security ideas to pick from, You can see ideal styles here.

If you don’t want to carry your phone in your pocket and want something a little more secure and not as visible, consider the Belt Loop Wallet, which is a pouch that you attach to your belt and wear it concealed in the inside of your pants.

In a press release from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) more stringent screening procedures for all incoming flights to the United States take effect today (10/26/17). The TSA is under the Department of Homeland Security. All passengers, both foreign and American citizens could face security interviews a U.S. government official said.

“The security measures affect all individuals, international passengers and U.S. citizens, traveling to the United States from the last point of departure international location,” said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the TSA. “These new measures will impact all flights from airports that serve as last points of departure locations to the United States.”

She estimated the number of flights affected at around 2,100 daily. She also said it would include “heightened screening of personal electronic devices” and stricter security procedures around planes and in airport terminals.

The new practices could increase the time it takes to clear security screening, so contact your airline for guidance on how much time you should allow for passing through security to be sure you don’t miss your flight.

Read the full article at NBC News for information.

More Resources to Help You Get Through TSA Screening

Trusted traveler programs such TSA PreCheck can help get through screening quicker and keep your shoes on too. Enroll once and your membership is good for 5 years. Learn which trusted traveler program fits you best.
Take a few precautions before you go. Make sure you pack your carry-on luggage in accordance with the 3-1-1 liquids rule and keep electronics larger than a cell phone handy to be removed for inspection at screening. Also during popular travel times, like Thanksgiving check out the TSA wait times for specific airports to make sure you arrive at the airport in plenty of time.

If you want more clarity about what to expect prior to check-in at the airport, start with contacting the airline you’re flying with for guidance. Next, remember to leave yourself plenty of time for delays and your trip through the airport will be a lot smoother.