Do's and Don'ts: Avoiding Theft and Scams

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How to Avoid Theft and Scams on the Road

Traveling the world is a great experience, but it does have its moments where its not so great. And those moments are when you fall into a scam or get something stolen. It doesn't happen to everyone, but when it does happen, it sucks, really bad. Thankfully (knock on wood) in all my travels, the only thing that I have had stolen from me was 4 euros. Some of that is thanks to pure luck, but a lot of it comes from learning about scams and using precautions. So here are some to the tips and tricks to avoid those scams.

Don't

Don't let someone take your credit card away to charge it. Because Europe now only uses the chip, the credit card/debit card machines are brought right in front of the customer to enter in the pin. You must accept that the sum is correct and discretely enter in your pin number. But the problem for american cards is that there is no pin, it requires a signature. This offers the perfect opportunity for a scam where they take it back swipe it through an extra machine, then again through their machine. So make sure that all transactions are done in front of you.

Do

Be aware of not getting surrounded or distracted. Pickpockets, most of the time, are not aggressive, they will just overwhelm you and prey on your distraction. Whether its small children rushing at you with a newspaper or someone asking you to sign a petition, the intention is to distract you while someone shoves their hand in your bag. There have been cases where someone throws a "baby" into your arms while their accomplice takes your money as you panic about the fact that someone just threw a baby (!!), and in the end it turns out to be a doll and you didn't even realize your bag being stolen. You should even be on the lookout while watching street performers, because many times there are accomplices walking around taking things from distracted tourists. To avoid being distracted say no to any help or petition immediately and keep a hand on all your belongings while watching anything.

Imperial War Museum

Don't

Don't think that the valuable item on the floor is yours. I've seen this scam so many times, in Paris and abroad. Someone sees you walking, bends down and asks if the jewelry that they're holding is yours. You take a closer look and they slip their hand in your bag. Instead, wear little jewelry and know where it is at all times, that way you immediately know that the jewelry on the ground is not yours.

Do

Avoid touching anything that is attempted to being sold to you. I've made this mistake before. I've taken a rose out of someone's hand to get their hand away from my chest. Then they bugged me to pay for it since I took it from them. I didn't, I just threw the flower back at them and got away as fast as possible. This is a common trick, "a beautiful flower for a beautiful lady" my butt! Someone gives you something to look at or to have then expect you to pay for it. Don't accept it. Just push past them and say no.

Don't

Don't book hotels over the phone or through solicitors. Sometimes hotels that you may find online are too good to be true, so don't use your credit card information over the phone or by email. And when you land at an airport, don't go to those people standing around offering money for those hotels, either they'll get your credit card information or ask for money upfront. Instead research online or in a guidebook. Book through a reputable website and make sure that there are reviews for the hotel. Don't book a hotel if there are no reviews.

Do

Verona Italy

Only take specifically marked taxis. Always look ahead of time of what taxi companies to take in the city. Many times there are taxis that charge triple the amount or people posing as taxis, which can turn out to be a dangerous situation. I personally avoid taxis because I think they're way too expensive, but I know sometimes you just have to make due with a taxi. So before going, ask how much is should cost to get there to keep the cab driver accountable. Also don't give the money until all your bags are out of the cab because sometimes drivers have left before people had the chance to get them out.

Don't

Don't hand your camera over. I know you want a great picture that doesn't look like a selfie, but a lot of times the person just runs off with your camera. And as much as I hate the selfie stick, it's a great way to avoid this problem. I very rarely ask someone to take a picture of me because of this. But when a family, usually French or American, asks me to take a picture of them, then I ask them if in return they'll take a picture of me. So be on the lookout of who you hand your camera to.

Do

Know who's on the other side of the hotel door. As a solo female traveler, I take this one very seriously. I will not open the door unless I specifically called for room service. People have been known to pose as housekeeping or room service to get into people's rooms. And even if you called for room service or housekeeping, ask who it is before answering as well. This goes for telephones too. Travelers have gotten phone calls from the "front desk" asking them to update their credit card information because there was a system error. And then it turns out that it is a scam from outside the hotel. Instead say you'll handle it with the front desk in person.

The Champs Elysees is a great place for a scam

Don't

Don't forget to count your change. I know that learning a new currency is hard. For me British pounds have been the hardest to understand because I can barely read what is on the coins. And not knowing the currency is a perfect opportunity for people to short change you. There have been other instances where the cashier will count really slowly to frustrate you so that you grab the money and go, not realizing there's less. In some areas, waiters and cab drivers have been known to discretely drop your money and replace it with a lesser value. So always count your change.

Do

Avoid fake tickets. You know scalpers in front of concerts of games? Sometimes they have a valid ticket, sometimes they don't. So avoid people coming up to you offering you tickets to skip the line. Many times they're fake and you just paid a fortune to be rejected at the front gate. Instead buy your tickets ahead of time or wait in line.