Regardless of whether you are travelling for work or pleasure, carrying valuable belongings around in an unknown area makes you a prime target for thieves. Most of the time, thieves will only act when an opportunity is presented to them, such as a bag being left out of sight or a wallet hanging out of a back pocket. Below is a range of methods and products that can help you to eliminate these opportunities, making sure that your belongings are kept safe.
Methods To Prevent Thieves
The simplest way to save your most important valuables is to leave them at home. While many people want to get maximum use out of their high-ticket watches and items of jewellery, wearing them whilst travelling is asking for trouble.
While some items can be left at home, cash and/or cards are something nobody can travel without. Only carry minimal amounts of cash and make sure you are using a card that can be immediately cancelled, just in case your wallet falls into the wrong hands. It is common practice for cards to be cancelled by the app or a quick phone call – Double check with your bank if you are unsure on how to do this.
Staying sober throughout the journey will help you to stay in complete control of your possessions. We would also recommend enabling the ‘Automatic iCloud Backup’ feature on your mobile device if possible – This way, if your phone is lost or stolen, all of the sentimental pictures and videos can be downloaded at a later date.
Another obvious yet often overlooked tip is to keep items in your front 2 pockets only, as these are the ones that thieves find hard to target. Tightly fitting trousers offer better protection, while keeping your hands placed on top of your valuables is also a smart idea.
Items To Prevent Thieves
Durable suitcase with padlocks – Reports suggest that investing in a durable suitcase with a combination padlock is an effective way of deterring thieves. This is because, as previously mentioned, thieves act on opportunity and will often pick the easiest option available to them.
RFID Blocking Wallet – These wallets stop criminals from RFID (Radio-frequency identification) skimming, which is a process used for lifting information from your credit card.
Anti-Theft Backpack – Smartly designed backpacks that feature hidden zippers and a cut resistant outer layer.
Cable lock – An adjustable cable lock can be used when sitting in a café or restaurant to ensure that your bag stays attached to the chair.
That concludes our list of methods and items that can be used to stop thieves while you travel. Remember to stay in control by always knowing where your valuables are located. If you are unfortunate enough to fall victim to opportunist thieves, check out our other article which describes in detail what you should do if you get robbed abroad.
