Avoiding holiday crime

Crime is a fact of life in all countries around the world, but more so in some than others. Knowing the ins and outs of where you’re going and how to stay safe is the key to avoiding crime happening to you.

We take a look at some of the common pitfalls Australian travellers fall into, and how you can avoid becoming a statistic.

What are common crimes that Australian travellers may face?

The levels of crime vary a great deal form one country to the next.

They can include:

• Scams and annoyances: scams come in a variety of forms, but a good way to avoid them is to make sure you are dealing with professionals as much as possible. This includes known hotel clerks and staff, professional taxi drivers and other properly registered staff. All too often, travellers are approached by scam artists who offer faster cheaper rides in their ‘taxi’, or pretend to be a hotel representative over the phone in order to get your credit card details. In some cases, these scams can not only rob you of your money and travel documents, but also lead to serious personal injury.
• Mugging: This can happen in any country, so make sure you stay in safe areas and try to get some local knowledge on which places are best to avoid. In most cases, it is safer to just hand over your money in a mugging, rather than risk personal injury.
• Kidnapping: This is quite common in South American countries in particular, and care should be taken to avoid known trouble spots.
• Credit card theft: This is one of the most common crimes, and care should be taken to not give any credit card details over the phone, and to take care not to throw credit card receipts into the rubbish bin without tearing them up or burning them first.

Tips on avoiding common scams & staying safe

Some common practices to get into the habit of are:

• Check the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFAT) “Smart Traveller” website for information regarding the country you are going to. It provides up to date details on the safety of your destination, as well as common scams and crimes to be aware of.
• While many people who offer assistance to travellers mean well, but unfortunately others do not. Never get into a car with a stranger that is not a properly registered professional, and avoid keep your personal documents in a hotel safe if possible.
• Never carry around more money than you need, and be careful about where you keep your wallet (a good idea is never to keep it in the front pocket of a back pack!).
• Never give out your credit card number over the phone, even to a ‘hotel clerk’. This scam is as old as the hills, so always insist that you will sort out the information in person later.
• Always keep extra copies of your passport, air tickets and traveller’s cheques in case they get stolen. A good idea is to also make sure someone back home has a copy too.