Travel Theft is Commonplace

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Everyone loves to see pictures and hear stories of your travels. We dream of visiting far off places and seeing beautiful sites so that we can come home and share our stories. What we don’t like hearing are the stories of theft. It is an unfortunate occurrence but it happens a lot more frequently than we care to admit. With careful planning, we can work to protect our things and enjoy our trip with relative ease.

Pickpockets Galore

Wherever the tourists go, so do the pickpockets . It can be a scary thing to arrive at a destination and discover that our wallet or billfold is missing. You head off on a tour of the Western Pacific, but what if you had arrived at your hotel in the Philippines and your wallet was gone? Or worse, stuck at the airport because you can't pay for a taxi? What do you do now? The quickest solution is to have a family member at the ready who can send money to the Philippines. There are money transfer offices all over the world and it will be easy to get some money so you can finish your trip. To avoid this mishap, here are a few suggestions:


• Use a bag that crosses your body to hold your phone and wallet
• Never put your phone or wallet in your back pocket
• If you need to use a pocket, use your front pockets
• Be mindful of your surroundings – pickpockets work in groups
• Keep space between you and others if you can – they love to bump into you
• Anyone can be a pickpocket, even children
• Pickpockets love touristy spots, go when it’s less crowded so you can be more aware.


When Animals Steal

Sometimes you visit a place with animals you have never seen before. Sometimes they take your stuff. Monkeys are notorious for wanting to take your backpack or grab something from your pocket. What do you do? If you really want to try and get your stuff back, it may be best to barter with the animal. Offering some fruit, or brightly colored candy could cause the animal to drop your backpack and go for the new treat. Ultimately, we suggest letting the monkey have it. Yea it isn’t the best scenario but the concern lies in if the animal decides to attack you. You could be severely hurt and need medical care. The animals could scratch you and infect you with a disease that you were not prepared for with immunizations prior to the trip. If you know you are going to a country with animals, especially monkeys, here are a few tips to prepare:


• Speak with someone at your hotel or with your tour group and ask about possible theft by animals.
• Never carry a backpack or anything brightly colored that the animal may be attracted to
• If you have to carry a bag, make sure you have something you can barter with the animal
• If you have to carry a bag; put your phone, money, and ID in your front pocket


Keep An Eye On Your Bags

Airports also attract people looking for a quick theft job. People get distracted and put their laptop bag down or put their jacket in the seat next to them. There are a few things you can do to protect your luggage while at the airport.


• Keep it in your hand or in front of your eyes at all times
• Avoid designer luggage (it screams “TAKE ME!”)
• Use hard-sided luggage since it cannot be cut open
• When you go through security, watch your luggage. Pick it up before you put your shoes back on.


We don’t wish to make you worry about your future travel plans , just offer suggestions to protect you and your trip. Peace of mind means you get to bring those fantastic stories home with you.

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