Don’t let crime ruin your travels; follow a few simple rules and keep your common sense about you and you’ll return from your holidays happy and healthy;
1. Carry only as much cash as you need on a day or night out and keep it discreet as well. Don’t go flashing your cash around!
2. Try to fit in with the locals and look less like a tourist.
3. Guys and girls should watch their drinks at all times as drink spiking has and can occur anywhere in the world. Don’t accept drinks from strangers that you haven’t seen poured.
4. Wear your handbag or manbag across your body with the opening facing in towards you.
5. Make you sure choose a safe hotel and use the hotel or room safe to store your money and valuables.
6. Keep your wits about you. If having a drink makes you disorientated, especially in a hot climate, then don’t do it. And keep your MP3 music for beside the pool as music will mask any other sounds.
7. Keep an eye on your luggage at all times and watch out for any distraction techniques or over-eager taxi drivers!
8. Spot and avoid the distraction scams out there such as someone spilling a drink on you then wiping it off. Or the shop or market that wraps your purchase without you actually checking the contents. Or the taxi driver that switches the meter off in return for stopping off at a gem shop. And the list goes on… use your common sense at all times!
9. Always use licensed taxis and make sure the meter is on.
10. Be cautious about where you use your credit card as this crime is on the increase.
11. Take adequate travel insurance and keep an eye on the small print. Keep an eye on your property and make sure you have the receipts back home just in case you need to make a claim.
12. Watch out for strangers that try to befriend you with an unlikely story or a shared interest.
By Julie Bowman
