Tag Archives: Street Crime

Sleeping with the hotel balcony door open is not the safest option, even on a high floor. Perhaps you’ve stayed at hotels that have a nice balcony overlooking the ocean or with a view of the city and keep the sliding door open. You might want to keep the sliding door open for ventilation or just to hear the sounds from outside.

Should you sleep with the hotel balcony door open?

How safe is it to sleep with the hotel balcony door open? Most travelers think that hotel rooms on the first floor, where it would be easy to access a hotel room might be the only unsafe ones to leave the sliding door open. What about rooms on higher floors – are they safe? The answer really depends on the layout of the hotel balcony, how close it is to the ground, as well as how easy is it to access from the room next door or even the roof of the hotel. If you’re not certain, don’t sleep with the hotel balcony door open.

While thefts from hotels as guests sleep are not too common, they do happen all around the world. Case in point, recently some guests were staying at a flagship hotel on the island if Malta and slept with the balcony door open. They awoke to the sounds of someone inside their room, went to investigate, and saw three men escaping the room through the room’s balcony. Luckily, they were able to alert hotel security who quickly found the thieves nearby in possession of items stolen from the guest’s room, and were subsequently arrested. You should always keep the security of your valuables in your room top of mind. Keep them secured in the hotel room safe.

Personal Safety

More important than your valuables is your own personal safety. Therefore, always check the balcony door lock when you arrive back in your room and again when you leave to make sure it is locked.

Videos – Hotel Balcony to Balcony Thefts See How Easy it is to Gain Entry into Hotel Rooms by Open Balcony Doors

Think these types of thefts don’t happen, take a look at some of these hotel room thefts that occurred by a thief gaining entry to guests’ hotel rooms with an open balcony:

Tips for your hotel stay

When staying in a hotel with a balcony, take a look around and see if it can be accessed easily from the adjoining balcony, a tree growing alongside it, or even from someone dropping down from the roof – which was the manner one thief used to gain entry to a guest room some years back.

2. Never leave items of value in plain sight when you leave your hotel room. Put them in the hotel room safe, locked in your luggage, or consider taking a portable safe with you in case your room does not have a safe to secure your valuables.

3. The hotel housekeeper may accidentally leave the hotel bacony door unlocked after cleaning the balcony. This was the case in a Barcelona hotel. Always check the lock when your return to your room.

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Pickpocket Scams in Milan, Italy

Milan may be the fashion capital of Italy, but it is also a city where tourists can be victims of pickpocketing firsthand. Pickpockets scams in Italy mirror the tide of tourists vsisting. In Milan, the top places where you need to exercise caution are where there are high concentrations of tourists, such as the central train station Stazione Cadorna, and these locations popular with tourists: Piazza del Duomo, Castello Sforzesco, and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The more people there are in a location the more easily marks can be distracted and victimized by thieves disappearing into the crowds.

In the main train station, Stazione Cadorna, there are often people waiting for tourists to arrive. Some are eager to strike up a conversation with a mark or to offer assistance. A newly arrived traveler may not be quick thinking and appropriately suspicious of “friendly strangers” thus making for a perfect target. A pickpocket scam here for example is carried out at the payphones. In Italy payphones are difficult to use for first timers, and a friendly man may approach offering assistance. Once the helpless tourist accepts, the man offers to take the traveler to a nearby bar, or if assisting a woman, expect a kiss in return. Never go to a second location with a stranger.

Pickpockets scams in Italy include people on the street who will always offer what seem to be free gifts of flowers, prayer cards, or even a friendship wristband. Do not accept them and try to avoid these people at all costs, these gifts are never free. The person will want money for the item or even try to keep you in conversation so an accomplice can steal from you while you are attentive to the discussion.

Here’s another one, at a popular tourist site, a young girl may approach you and stand very close. In one hand she is carrying a cardboard sign and attempting to tell you something in Italian, in the other hand she has your wallet from your pocket…hidden behind her cardboard sign. Pickpockets scams in Italy are not necessarily unique to Italy, they are perpetrated in European cities too.

Motor coaches are always popular hunting grounds for tourists, especially routes that connect the airport and main train station. Once you depart the coach with your laptop bag or camera in one hand and your recently collected luggage in the other, a thief asks you a question in Italian. While you are trying to decipher what the person needs, an accomplice moves past you possibly even bumping into you, and lifts one of your bags you momentarily placed on the ground.

Thefts at Milan Central Station

This video really shows how brazen young thieves can be. These gypsy children have honed their pickpocket skills. It’s a craft taught to the young by the old. Want to have peace of mind and keep your valuables secure when in crowded locations? Rely on a security purse or security day pack when traveling. Security waist packs are designed with locking zippers to keep thieves out and offer other features to keep your possessions secure.

Theft Video at the Milan, Italy Airport

This is a video of a theft from a traveler at the Milan, Italy airport. Always keep an eye on your luggage, no matter how close it is to you.

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Westerners visiting developing countries can often have life-changing experiences. Unfortunately, tourists can also find themselves as targets of crime or scams. These travel safety tips for visiting developing or third-world countries can help you have a safer experience.

Locals know that you have more money and valuables than they do. They also know you have less recourse if you are victimized. Consider these travel safety tips when visiting developing countries and investigate your destination before you travel.

Common Scams in Developing Countries

Fake police. People who own a police badge and even a uniform may be crooks in disguise. Be suspicious of anybody who asks you to show them your money or passport. Ask to be taken to the nearest police station before they search you or your belongings.
Drugged food/drinks. Don’t accept food or drinks offered to you on a bus/train/etc. They may drug you and leave you vulnerable to robbery.
Money changers. In most countries of the world, you don’t need to look for black market rates. Sometimes you are approached by people who volunteer to change dollars at very good rates. They will show you a roll of banknotes, then switch it with another roll of worthless notes while they take your dollars.

Advice for Avoiding Scams Against Tourists

Avoid crowds where you have to slow down. Every time you slow down while walking in a street you become an easier target.
Be suspicious if somebody slows you down (eg, falls in front of you, his clothes get stuck in something, etc): it may be a pretext to facilitate an accomplice who is behind you.
Be aware of who is behind you. If the same person is behind you for a few minutes, be suspicious.
A decoy wallet may help distract the thief. The thief will target your very visible wallet, while your money is somewhere else (eg, in another pocket). Carry your passport and money in a hidden waist wallet.

Waist wallet stays hidden under clothing and out of reach of pickpockets

Avoid traveling with big luggage. The bigger the luggage, the more visible you are, and the harder it is for you to defend yourself, chase a thief, etc. Backpacks can be easily opened even while you are walking. Travel with an Anti-theft backpack or bag.

Anti-theft backpack has locking zippers to keep out thieves

Always ask for receipts at hotels when they make you pay in advance.
Always bargain the price of a taxi before entering it, even if it has a meter. Always use taxis that are recommended and referred by the hotel you are staying in. Always be wary of taxis you hail on the street.
In most countries of the world, it is inappropriate to approach strangers (especially women). Anybody who approaches you (no matter how big his smile) should make you a little suspicious. Keep your guard up and be careful when talking to strangers.
Anybody who speaks English well and approaches you is suspicious by definition. I am aware of many occasions that person will turn out to be somebody who wants to make money out of you, either by being your guide or by selling you souvenirs or worse. If you refuse, they will turn nasty.
Again, be cautious of strangers. Once they force you to behave friendly, they have the upper hand psychologically. They know that you were raised to be nice to people who are nice to you.
In most countries of the world women never respond to strangers, not even if they like the stranger. For a foreign woman, it is never a good idea to respond to men who approach her. The appropriate behavior is cold silence and indifference. Even a “no” is viewed as beginning a conversation. A smile is the worse course of action (in some cultures means “I am saying no but I mean yes”).

Advice for Reducing Your Victim Potential

Walk fast all the time. Every time you stop (to browse in a shop, to write a postcard, to take a picture), you become an easy target.
Don’t wear expensive clothes/watch. Your watch might be someone’s 6-month salary.
Try to dress as much as the natives (give the impression you “live” in the country, or at least try to blend in).
Dress as humbly as possible.

If Robbed

If you were robbed of something unusual happened in front or around you, don’t chase the thief, follow the person who generated the commotion: s/he is probably an accomplice. Don’t try to stop her/him until there is police nearby. If s/he is an accomplice, police will probably recognize her/him right away. Accomplices are often women and children.

If Attacked

Use violence only if the attacker is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Otherwise, you may be risking your life: he has obviously more experience than you.
In most countries, theft is an accident of life and police will not even make an effort to investigate, but murder, especially of a foreigner, is a major event. From the point of view of a thief, that means that he has no interest in hurting you: if he doesn’t hurt you, he’s likely to get away with his crime, but if he hurts you the entire police force of the nation will be after him. Unless you do something really weird, most of the time a thief who is after your wallet or luggage has no interest in hurting you, they want your money or valuables.

When Driving

The below does not apply solely to Third World countries but also here domestically.

Make sure your luggage does not show from the trunk.
If you are lost in an unsafe neighborhood, do not show that you are lost. Do not stop, keep driving and look at the map while driving.
Don’t rely on public telephones: if you are in a bad neighborhood, they are unlikely to be working.
The best protection is prevention: make familiar with the topography of the city before you start driving. If you get lost, you should at least be able to guess (without asking) in which direction you have to steer.
Get a map app on your phone.
Have an emergency number (can be a friend or local hotel) to call for help or advice.
Just don’t look like a tourist who is lost, helpless, and desperate. Look like somebody who lives around there and is about his business.

Additional Advice for Visiting Developing Countries

1. Get Medical Insurance
  Medical care in developing countries is not up to the standards of care you will find here in the US. If you are injured or fall ill you need an insurance policy that will evacuate you out of the country.
2. Do Cultural Research
  Before visiting developing countries do some research about customs, traditions, and language. Include religious beliefs and if they impact women traveling alone.
3. Understand Personal Earning Levels
  Be aware of what locals earn. Err on the side of generosity if tipping or bargaining. The money means more to them than it does to you.
4. Visit US Government Advisory Websites
  Travel safety tips for visiting developing countries keep evolving, so start your trip by doing your research before you travel.
  Visit US travel advisory website.
  Enroll in the Smart traveler program
5. Visit a doctor specializing in travel medicine

Keeping Valuables Safe While at the Beach

1. The only way not to lose something to theft is not to bring it in the first place. Well, that is not always possible.

2. The next step is to try to thwart the efforts of would-be thieves by keeping your valuables on your person (in a waterproof gear) while you swim or stroll along the shore.

3. The next option is to secure your gear in bags you can lock down to a stationary item like a lounge chair or umbrella. Be sure to see the videos below that capture how thieves operate and get inspired to protect your valuables too before you pack your sunscreen and towel.

(VIDEOS ARE AT THE BOTTOM KEEP SCROLLING DOWN)

Guarding Your Possessions at the Beach or Pool

The first thing you can do to protect your valuables is never to leave them unattended. Especially when you go into the water or doze off to catch a few winks.
Store small, necessary items like your car key, spare cash and credit cards and even your phone or tablet inside a waterproof pouch you can carry on your person. Yes, you can go into the water with your phone on your person. Make sure your waterproof pouch is secured to your body as closely as possible so that a wave doesn’t pull it off.

Waterproof waist pouches are better than waterproof neck pouches in the ocean as neck pouches are more apt to float off your body especially if you get hit by a wave.
Use a portable locking safe. Certain bags can be secured to a stationary item like a chair or umbrella, or another immovable object. The Pacsafe Travelsafe X15 Anti-Theft Portable Safe secures essentials in many environments including the beach or pool. You just need something to lock it to like a lounge chair or beach umbrella.

Travelsafe 5l , protecting valuables at the beach or pool

Pacsafe Travelsafe GII 5 Liter Portable Safe

Another bag with built-in locking technology is the CoolBag Locking Anti-Theft Travel Tote With Insulated Cooler. It offers anti-theft features plus a built-in cooler. It keeps things secure and cool, again you just need something to lock the bag to.
Locking Anti-Theft Travel Tote With Insulated Cooler Compartment- Check Price

Alternatives To Keeping Gear Safe at the Beach or Pool

Don’t have the right anti-theft gear with you? Here are a few alternative measures to take.
Try to go into the ocean in shifts so someone is always watching the valuables. If you can’t do this, read on for various suggestions to protect unattended valuables.
Set your towel down in front of a lifeguard tower when possible. The hope is that thieves won’t want to operate near someone who might catch them in the act of stealing while you are in the water.
Don’t leave your valuables exposed – if you must leave your valuables, at least, tuck them under a beach towel. If the item is larger, dig down a little in the sand so the towel remains flat when placed over it. If you have electronics place them in a large zip-lock style bag and bury it, then cover with a beach towel. The bag protects the electronics from the sand. If you do this, make sure the bag is completely sealed. We like weather and water-proof cases specially designed for 100% protection against water and sand. These bags are stronger than plastic food storage bags.
Strike up a conversation with a family near you. Make sure the people remember you and don’t be shy about asking them to keep an eye on your stuff for short periods of time. If you’re generous about sharing things like cold drinks, you can generate enough goodwill to ensure your possessions are watched over even when you’re not there. If you ask another beachgoer to watch your property, remember, you don’t know who they are, nor that they would watch your property as much as you would so make sure you think this idea through – but it is an option if you had no other choice and at least you are selected the person. Most people really don’t mind, and they might even ask you to return the favor.
Take or rent a beach chair and use it to attach a portable safe to or place your beach bag directly underneath it, making it more difficult for a thief to grab it and run. The added cost of renting a chair or umbrella is better than having to replace valuables.

Great Packable Security Safes

The following two beach or pool safes lock to a stationary item (like a beach chair or umbrella) and they also lock closed to keep valuables safe while at the beach.
The beach towel with built-in sand resistant and water-resistant pocket is a less secure alternative, but ideal if you don’t have a chair or umbrella to lock a portable safe to.

SafeGo Portable Lock Box

• Durable plus water and sand resistant
• Lock box has 3 digit combo + key access
• Heavy-duty 17″ steel cable wraps around a fixed object
• Rust-resistant, nickel-plated lock
• Lightweight ABS plastic, easy to pack

Flexsafe Portable Safe

• Ultra slash-resistant portable travel safe
• Water-resistant design
• RFID blocking
• Re-programmable 3 digit combination lock
• Light-Weight & easily packable

Travel Towel with Hidden Water/Sand Resistant Pocket

• Towel with built-in water-resistant pocket
• Conceals valuables while you’re sleeping or swimming
• XL size, 60″x 30″ weighs 8oz.
• Made of quick-drying and ultra-soft microfiber
• Light-Weight & easily packable

These Videos Show How Thieves Work at the Beach

You really need to plan ahead and think about how to keep valuables safe while at the beach or pool before you leave on your trip. That way you can invest in a waterproof body pouch or a larger portable lockdown safe. While more expensive than a body pouch the flexibility of a safe is that you’ll be able to use it in a hotel room, car, vacation rental property, camping, etc. for years to come.

What Solo Female Travelers Should Do Before They Go

Pack so you can carry all your belongings yourself. Use wheeled luggage, and get a bag bungee to secure your tote or another smaller bag even a backpack to the wheeled bag. Combining your bags as one makes moving with them so much easier. The bag bungee device helps you keep one hand free and not at the mercy of others when it comes to managing your bags.
Bags stay together and move as one with a bag bungee, shop
When flying, pack a carry-on bag with enough clothes and toiletries that you can go a day or so without your checked luggage, should your checked luggage be delayed by the airline. Be sure you triple-tag all luggage pieces both inside and out with your contact information and destination.
Outside bag tag should have your name no home address, and destination, plus your cell phone number.
Use a covered luggage tag that can’t be easily separated from your bag. A metal attachment loop is the best style of bag attachment. If your bag is lost it can be forwarded to you at your next destination. A cell phone number is critical too.
Covers personal information and attaches with a metal loop
Inside your bag place contact information with full name and travel schedule with hotels, dates, and instructions to call a cell phone number.
Airline destination tags are put on when you check-in. Be sure the destination on the airline tag is correct. With computer-generated tags these days, it’s rare to find a mistake.
Leave a copy of your itinerary with a trusted family member or friend.

What Solo Female Travelers Should Do En Route

Pick the clothes to wear on the flight. You want something loose and comfortable, plus comfortable shoes. Given a choice, try to go with natural fibers which are safer in the case of fire than synthetics. Your chances of being in a fire are very, very, very small, but all else being equal, pick the cotton outfit over the polyester one.
Do not wear spiked high heeled shoes on the plane. Besides the fact that they are dreadfully uncomfortable, they are rough in the case of evacuating the plane with an inflated plastic evacuation slide. You are well-advised to wear flat shoes when flying.
Be sure to take something interesting to read or watch on the plane (book, tablet or phone loaded with entertainment and earbuds). If an unpleasant traveler sits next to you, bury your nose in your book or movie and keep your earbuds in.
If you’re flying in coach be prepared and pack a travel pillow. An inflatable pillow takes up less room and is lighter to carry than a memory foam pillow.
An inflatable neck pillow supports your head and is lightweight and compact to pack

Hotel Safety Tips for Solo Women Travelers

Whether or not you are married, wear a wedding ring, It cuts down on unwanted attention from men. If you get into a tight spot, then you can casually mention that you are “waiting for your husband,” etc. You can find a simple gold band for not too big of an investment. If you’re married consider leaving an expensive diamond ring at home and travel with a simple gold band.
Resist posting on social media that you are gone, it makes your home vulnerable to a break-in.
When you arrive and need a taxi, it is safer to go to the taxi queue and take the first taxi in line, rather than accepting the offer of someone who approaches you at the airport. In other words, you choose the taxi. Don’t let them choose you. Sometimes in places where there are a few taxis, that isn’t possible, but try to make the taxi your choice. Phone apps like Uber and Lyft are helpful on-demand services. They also provide the security of having each driver thoroughly background checked.
At the hotel: Don’t let the reception “announce” your room number out loud. Here you have to have some common sense. Hotel personnel are (should be) trained NOT to say “Here is your key for Room 306.” Instead, they should say “Here is your key. The number is on the key envelope.” If the room number is announced out loud, and there are other people in the lobby who might have overheard, just hand the key back and ask for another room. Be very polite, friendly, and say you are nervous about others knowing your room number. On the other hand, if the lobby is totally unoccupied, except for you and the desk clerk, no big deal.
Sign the register as “Mrs.” when you get to your room, have the bellman wait while you do a thorough room check. If you are alone, prop the door open with your luggage while you do the room check. Check anywhere else a man could hide – behind drapes, in the shower, behind the shower curtain under the bed, etc. After the room check, thank and tip the bellman, or close the room door.
At night, use a portable door lock that prevents intruders who might have a passkey, and might have tampered with the door chain from gaining entrance. Hotels with electronic key-cards change the access code for the hotel room with each guest. Yet they too have pass keys.

Portable Door Stopper– Stops door from opening and has alarm should entry be attempted

If someone knocks on your door, and you didn’t order anything like room service, call the front desk to verify that a hotel employee was sent to your room. The obvious exception to this is in the late morning when the housekeeping crew is around. No intruder in his/her right mind is going to break into your room with all kinds of hotel employees in the halls.
When you get to your room, check out the emergency exit route. Figure out how you will get from your room to the stairs. Get in the habit of always putting your hotel room key on your bedside table next to your phone. That way, you always know where it is. In the case of fire, you will have the hotel room key right next to your bed. If you decide to leave the room, take the key with you. The door will probably lock behind you as you leave. If the situation is worse outside your room, you will need the key to get back in. Never stay on the 7th floor or higher as ladders of the fire department don’t reach beyond that.

Safety Tips for When Out and About

When you are out and about, walk with some purpose. If you are lost, it is better to stop and ask for directions and head in the proper direction, than to wander around hopelessly. Take a magazine or tablet to read in the restaurants. Someone said once it is difficult for a woman to dine alone without looking like she is afraid she had been stood up. True. I try to beat that by walking in with a magazine or a small book to make it look like I am there by myself on purpose.
On the other hand, don’t be afraid to get into conversations with strangers. It can be fun to meet new and interesting people. The deal is to recognize the con artist types from the genuinely friendly types. The “OK” person will engage in light conversation only and not try to get you to do anything or go anywhere. Avoid the type who wants you to leave the public area, restaurant, park, etc., and go somewhere not public for some other reason.
Do not get into a car with a stranger, take public transportation, or agree to split a cab.
It’s not wise to carry a lot of cash. ATMs are everywhere so you can replenish it. Use the normal common sense around the ATM as you would do at home. ATMs located inside banks are a safer choice than at a free-standing kiosk.
Hotels have safe deposit boxes at the front desk. If you are going to be in one place for more than just a night, you might leave your airline ticket in the safe box. International travelers should leave their airline tickets and passports in the room safe deposit box. Place both in a sealed envelope with your signature written across it, and walk around town with a photocopy of your passport for your official ID. Additionally, you should keep a copy of your tickets and passport on your phone.
Carry a small personal alarm, it can help emergency personnel find you as well as scare aware any unsavory characters. Don’t feel silly about using it. Do you really care what people you do not know in a foreign country will think of you if you use it during a perceived threat?

Wear, or attach this personal alarm to your bag in case of an emergency

As a solo female traveler, it’s smart to take a few precautions so you can relax and enjoy the sightseeing, the museums, the hiking, the scenery, the people, the restaurants, the food, the smells, the ambiance, and all the wonderful reasons you left home in the first place.

Best Tips for First-Time Flyers

If you’re boarding a plane for the first time or if you haven’t flown on a plane lately; here’s what you need to know now regarding packing, checking your luggage, and navigating airport security as a first-time flyer.

Before You Leave Home

Place “Stop” Orders when applicable. Once your travel is booked, you should look into placing “stop or hold” orders on any regularly occurring deliveries or services. These may include postal mail, newspapers, house cleaners, and the like. If you want particular services to continue (such as landscaping), consider paying in advance if this is not your usual arrangement. Many service providers allow you to place stop orders online; this is particularly the case for mail delivery and most newspapers. As most stop orders require one or two business days advance notice, make sure you take care of this, at least, three days before you travel. Read more ideas to ready your home for travel to lessen your chances of burglary.

2. Call your bank. Let the bank know where and when you will be traveling so they do not think your credit card has been compromised. Use only an RFID blocking wallet or bag with an RFID blocking compartment to protect your identity. Credit card companies look at irregularity in your credit card usage, so if you have not used your credit card outside of your area in some time, and suddenly charges start showing up abroad, or out of your area, the card issuer may shut down your card until the out of normal usage is explained.

Just Before You Fly

Reconfirm your flight or check-in directly with the airline 24 to 48 hours before departure. Usually, you can do this online. Print a copy of your boarding pass and keep a screenshot on your phone, even if you have your boarding pass in the airline’s app on your phone, if you end up with internet problems, you will still be able to access your screenshot.

Smart Packing Tips

Pack Smart. To minimize items you pack, pack outfits and limit your colors to three to mix and match items. Use packing cubes to organize clothes and maximize space.

maximize space and organization in your luggage

Place medicine and expensive items only in your carry-on luggage, never in your checked bags which could get delayed or lost.
Keep a pencil or pen handy in your carry-on to note gate, departure time, and connecting flight information. This can also help with customs forms for international travelers.
Know the TSA rules about carry-on items and packing your luggage. Go to the TSA website.
Identify your baggage bag tags or colorful tape on the exterior to make it easy to spot on the luggage carousel.
Use a baggage tag with your name, and cell number on the outside of your bag. Make sure you only use a covered bag tag to shield your privacy. Inside your baggage, put your name, home information plus your destination address and telephone number.

Covered bag protects personal information, metal attachment ring keeps it secure

Use a Bluetooth tracker like an apple air tag or a tile for your android phone.

Air Tag tracking device for first time flyers

Tracking device you put into your checked bag shows you exactly where your bag is, like on the plane or where in baggage claim.

Bring only two items on board to speed boarding. Typically airlines only allow one carry-on bag plus a personal item such as a purse or backpack, check your airline’s guidelines for the carry-on bags and their sizes before you pack.
Know your baggage restrictions. Check the airline’s website for bag weight and size restrictions. This is very important to avoid overweight fees or oversized luggage fees for checked bags.
Only use TSA-accepted luggage locks. You need to lock your checked bags to keep others out and your gear secure. Only use luggage locks that allow the TSA to open them with a special override key in case they want to inspect your luggage. If you don’t, they can cut off your lock to gain access to your bag.

luggage zipper lock forr first time flyers

Luggage locks with easy read dial, TSA approved with zinc alloy

Arriving at the Airport

Leave early for the airport! Arrive at the airport up to two hours before departure for domestic flights and up to three hours before departure for international flights. Anticipate slow-downs during the holidays and the peak summer months. Traffic may be heavier, airport parking lots may be fuller, and lines may be longer.

Check In Early

Check-in at the airline ticket counter if you don’t have a seat assignment. Go directly to the gate for check-in if you have a boarding pass and aren’t checking luggage. At a minimum, check in one hour before departure on domestic flights and two hours before international departures. Extra time waiting is better than rushing and running through the terminal.
Check baggage routing for your checked baggage. Ensure that the agent or skycap attaches the correct tags for your destination city. If you don’t recognize the city code – for example, ORD is Chicago O’Hare airport — ask, particularly if you have connecting flights. Ask if your luggage is checked through to your destination or if you will have to claim it and re-check it during a connection.
Know your departure gate. Ask the agent or skycap to write your departure gate number on your ticket envelope or boarding card. Know your boarding time and boarding group. Boarding typically starts 30 minutes prior to departure.

Identification

Carry at least one form of photo ID at all times. A second photo ID might be required at some airports. If you’re using your driver’s license make sure it is a Real ID.
Digital copies. Keep photos of your driver’s license and passport on your phone too in case of loss.
Wearable security document organizer. Wear the organizer while in the airport to be hands-free and later under your shirt while sightseeing to foil pickpockets.

Underclothing security neck wallet pouch

Underclothing security neck pouch keeps passport, credit cards, and money secure. At At the airport wear it over your shirt for quick access. Wear it under your shirt to keep pickpockets away when sight-seeing

Security Check Points

TSA screening. Once at the airport, be prepared to have your belongings searched by security personnel at the TSA checkpoints. You must pass through TSA to get into the terminals where the gates are. Only ticketed passengers can go to the terminals. You will need to show your ID and your boarding pass.
Dress checkpoint friendly. Don’t wear large metal buckles, belts, or jewelry that will activate the metal detector’s alarm.
Laptop computers and other electric devices might need to be removed and put in a separate bin for passing through the x-ray machine.
Wear shoes that are easy to remove and put back on. Most of the time your shoes will need to be removed and go through x-ray.
Know the 3-1-1 rule for toiletries or liquids you pack in your carry-on.

Gate Area

Never leave luggage unattended or under the watch of a stranger. If traveling alone take it with you into the bathroom and use the larger handicap stall
Do not accept any item from strangers or carry any package with unknown contents.

Boarding

Stay close to the departure gate to hear the latest announcements.
There you will receive boarding instructions and any last-minute information you need for the flight.
Board when asked.
Be sure to board when your row number or boarding group is called. Empty seats will be counted and given to standby passengers.

When the Plane Lands

Upon arrival at your destination, go immediately to the baggage claim area to pick up your luggage. Have the claim stubs available and if you’re using a tracking device like an air tag or tile turn on your phone to help find your bag.

When in Doubt

Ask questions. Airline employees are generally friendly and helpful. No question is too simple particularly if you’re a first-time flyer.

Trending Distraction Travel Scams in Europe

Distraction thefts are usually coordinated efforts between two or more thieves. Typically they involve one or two members of the “ring of thieves” creating a distraction while the others take advantage of the moment where the tourists or marks lapse in their vigilance of protecting their valuables. In Italy recently a group of artists concocts a show where a street vendor accuses a woman of stealing from him and hiding the goods on her person. The argument escalates loudly and a group of onlookers gathers. To prove her innocence the woman starts to remove her clothes. Once she gets down to her underwear the shopkeeper apologizes. While the onlookers were distracted by the “show” pickpockets were working the crowd to relieve as many of them as possible of their wallets, cameras, and phones.

You can bet that any loud street scuffle in a tourist-heavy location is an orchestrated distraction scam.

More personal one-on-one distraction travel scams in Europe involve a personable man or woman who approaches you asking for directions while forcing a map in front of you blocking your view of your bag and pockets. A similar setup is a woman selling something large like paper flowers she forces against you while asking for a few coins. While you are flustered and trying to push them away they or an accomplice have pick-pocketed you, and you didn’t even feel it.

Thefts of Opportunity are Not Staged Scams

Typically thieves take advantage of a momentary lapse in the vigilance of a tourist and then take what is not theirs. One of the most common opportunistic thefts is when a thief runs off with your purse that you’ve left dangling on your chair behind you or dips his hand in it and takes your wallet while your back is to him.

Another crowded location where thieves target tourists is in subway terminals. The jostling and quickly moving people offer enough distraction for pickpockets to take advance of easy-to-pick bags and wallets visible in back pockets.

The best tactic is not to engage with any people who try to crowd your personal space and overwhelm you. Unfortunately, these thieves have honed their craft and are persistent. The solution to keeping your valuables secure on your body is wearing a hidden money belt and to use an anti-theft purse or anti-theft backpack that has locking zippers.

Popular Travel Scams by Country

Travel scams in Europe are constantly changing. Some, however, tend to remain popular in certain countries because quite simply they work. Here’s a rundown of some of the current popular tourist scams by country. Many of these travel scams occur across borders.

France, the string people: Around Montmartre, Paris a friendly young person will want to wrap and tie a string friendship bracelet around your wrist. While you think this is charming and say thank you as you walk away, the “string person” will follow you and insist you give him or her a donation. Often their tactics escalate to harassment and many tourists give them money just to make them stop the harassment and go away.

Spain, border fees: During the tourist high season scam artists armed with fake IDs locate between the border of Spain and Gibraltar demand an “entry fee” to Gibraltar. There is no entry fee to pass from Spain to Gibraltar or visa versa. You do not need to pay no matter what they threaten.

Italy, flat tire: This scam is a setup and more prevalent in southern Italy. Rental cars are easily identifiable and therefore vulnerable targets. The scammers puncture the tire of their intended target while parked. Once you’re forced to stop due to a flat tire, the friendly and kind good Samaritans will “help” you watch your car as you go for help or will help you change the tire. In both cases, your luggage and valuables are vulnerable to theft while you’re distracted. Don’t leave your car or luggage unattended, call the emergency number provided on your written car rental document and then ask the “good Samaritans” to leave.

Czech Republic, phony police officers: This scam can be intimidating and even scary. Don’t fall for a group of police officers, yes they dress the part, as they appear and accuse you of a crime. The crime could be not paying a fee, shoplifting, etc. They will insist on you handing them your wallet and passport. Tell them you don’t have either or simply refuse and ask to go to a local police station. Most likely they will issue you a stern warning and leave.

Hungary, counterfeit money: Two common places where you may receive counterfeit bills as change is from taxi cabs and from stand-alone currency exchange booths. The Hungarian currency is the Forint. Use a credit card where you can make sure you have plenty of small bills to give the correct change. Get your Forints from a bank or at the airport to avoid fake currency.

Poland, imposter cabs: Imposter and unregulated cabs will try to pick up fares and say their meter is broken and then try to overcharge you for your trip. If this is the case look for another cab, or pre-negotiate the fare. It’s best to know the going rate for the trip ahead of time before you start the negotiation. Another option is to ask what the rate is via a rate card.

Germany, fake train ticket inspectors: Often the fake inspectors appear on trains to the airport. Usually, men wearing a fake ID badge and even armed with portable credit card machines ask to see your ticket. Upon inspection, they declare something is wrong and demand payment of a fine on the spot. Some demand 60 Euro per person and can be very aggressive even demanding your passport as ransom, which you don’t want to give up, especially since you’re on your way to the airport. Never hand your passport to a stranger, even if he looks official. Tell the “inspector” to issue you a ticket (which a real inspector will do.) Call for the train conductor to intervene if you can.

The more you know ahead of time the more likely you’ll recognize when something is not quite right. Be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut, especially when interacting with overly friendly or overly aggressive people, read more about travel scams in Europe.

Children as Thieves – Pickpockets in Venice

Schooling for thieves starts very early. A traveler was seated on a crowded bus in Rome on her way to the Vatican. She glanced down at her lap to find a tiny little hand reaching into her now unzipped fanny pack. The child could not have been more than 6 years old. Groups of children have been known to gang up on unsuspecting travelers as well. One common scenario is the newspaper trick. A group of children approach the unsuspecting tourist and ask for money or try to sell you knick-knacks as they jab at you with newspapers or cardboard. The papers effectively block your view of little hands fast at work, opening pockets, slashing belts, and cleaning out your travel funds. If you do catch on, usually the shock of being robbed by children delays your reaction a moment more, making for a successful robbery.

Why Children Make Good Thieves

Street vendors selling souvenirs can be a distraction for tourists and an attraction for pickpockets.

More common in Rome and other Italian cities child pickpockets are now working in Venice too. Under 14 years of age, these children cannot be held accountable for their crimes by local law. So they are ideal for older thieves to train and put out on the streets to work. If the child thieves are picked up by police, they are taken to child refugee safe houses, and then they abscond in the morning only to be back on the street the very next day. Some of the children are stopped by Carabinieri (national police), fed-up local vigilantes and shopkeepers on a daily basis, but the rewards are great and the young thieves keep on robbing.

Be streetwise – Venice is a very safe town but pickpocketing is one thing you should look out for. Favorite places for the robbers include busy lanes and bridges, the bus terminus at Piazzale Roma, the St. Mark’s area and rush-hour water buses. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security if the only people near you are ten-year-olds or heavily-pregnant girls; these are classic examples of the pickpockets sent out by Fagin-like operators. Newspapers have reported children as young as 5 being employed in crime. Be very aware of people falling in behind you in a queue, especially if you are being jostled. Shout loudly and attract attention if someone attempts to rob you.

Often girls are the ones to approach purse-carrying women as they seem the least threatening. They will play around you or distract you with a cardboard sign asking you to buy a trinket or candy. Children also have smaller hands which you may not feel slipping into a bag or pocket. Venice with its many alleys and narrow streets is an ideal setup for the thieves to steal from tourists and to and run away out of sight. Your best defense is a security purse that has built-in anti-theft features to keep your valuables secure from pickpockets. Travel with peace of mind.

Anti-Theft Travel Gear

Our best advice is to carry your valuables close to your body and hidden from view, if you can’t leave them locked in a hotel room safe. A neck pouch that zips closed or uses velcro to stay closed should be worn under your shirt or blouse. Even if the neck cord is visible or the item is a bit lumpy under your shirt most likely a thief will pass you up for another victim that isn’t wearing one. Another similar type of body wallet is a flat money belt that you tuck into the front of your pants.

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