15 ways to protect your money on vacation |
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Bob Arno, co-author of "Travel Advisory! How to Avoid Thefts, Cons and Street Scams While Traveling," recommends securing cash in hidden travel pouches under your clothes. "Raise your antennas when out in public," Arno advised in an e-mail. "Only have as much cash as you are comfortable losing. Never resist a mugger. Have so-called 'give up money' to offer in a tougher confrontation."
Watch out for crowds. Be extra alert in crowded situations and tourist hotspots.
"Thieves don't take vacations," Foley says. "They are drawn to where there are large groups of people and large groups of distracted people."
From county fairs to sporting events to must-see tourist spots, thieves are on the lookout for easily distracted targets.
So don't be one. Keep your head in crowded situations and keep close tabs on all your possessions.
Clean out your rental car. Heading out to see the sights in a rental car? Lock away your valuables first.
"It is absolutely essential that all valuables are locked in the hotel room safe when leaving for the day," Arno says. "A car is incredibly unsafe if the valuable items can be seen through the windows. Even the trunk is an issue in many countries or cities, for example, Barcelona, Naples and most of South America."
Stay organized. Sure, you're on vacation and kicking back a bit, but you'll want to stay on top of all the purchases that you make. And don't relax so much that you lose track of a camera, laptop or credit card.
"Try to stay as organized as possible," John Morgan, director of AAA's credit card program, advised in an e-mail. "If you have to dig through your bags quickly to make a purchase, you are more likely to misplace or lose money or valuable items. If you are not organized, you will also be less likely to notice when important documents, money or credit cards are missing."
Watch out for pickpockets. Staying organized and alert will help you thwart pickpockets while traveling outside and inside the United States.
Don't leave bags on the floor or hanging off the back of a chair in a restaurant.
Arno recommends being especially alert
when stepping out of a taxi with all your bags. Your focus may be
on paying the taxi driver. But a thief's focus will be on your bags
sitting on the curb.
Take extra care with your bags and possessions whenever you take public transit. "A public transportation vehicle -- be it a tram, a bus or a train -- is a perfect location for the thieves when it is crowded," Arno says.
Research foreign destinations before your trip. Consular information sheets from the U.S. Department of State are available for every country in the world. These sheets describe everything from entry requirements, currency regulations and health conditions to the country's crime and security situation to special information about driving and road conditions. They also provide addresses and emergency telephone numbers for U.S. embassies and consulates.
And this is all good information to have when traveling to another country, especially for the first time.
Review your purchases. Upon returning from your vacation, review your credit card purchases, debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals with your bank and credit card companies. Don't wait for your monthly statements.
If a thief has nabbed your card information, you'll want to alert your bank and credit card companies as soon as possible.
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