Traveling is one of the most interesting activities that millions of individuals perform per year. It allows you to discover new cities, eat new food and learn more about the other parts of the world. Some destinations can be more troublesome than others, especially in terms of security. You could become the victim of thieves, scammers, or even hackers thanks to our dependency on technological devices. Dealing with these situations can prove even more challenging if you are far from home.
That is why learning How to Travel Safer is a priority. Make sure to understand basic travel scams and how to avoid them. Follow these security measures to prepare yourself for any situation.
Learn Common Travel Scams:
Shady people tend to take advantage of tourists on a regular basis. If you are not careful, you could become the victim of a scam scheme. Understanding the common travel scams will prove to be worth it. Learn to stay away from scammers before they succeed in their objective.
An absolute classic. Cab drivers located near airports or train stations are well known for trying to play this trick. In reality, this can happen practically anywhere. The way it works is simple. After you arrive at your destination, the taxi driver claims that the meter is broken. They then proceed to charge you an insane price for the fare. The best way to avoid this is to negotiate rates before you get in the car or make sure that the meter works by asking the driver to turn it on.
This is another classic and it is popular in many cities around the world. A person will approach a tourist and offer illicit items, and then out of nowhere, other people will arrive on the scene looking like police officers. The “police officers” will insist that the traveler hand over their passport and the wallet. To avoid this scam, you must not hand over your passport or wallet. Ask for identification and then tell them that you will call the police to verify their identity.
- Fake Bus, Train, or Plane Tickets:
Sadly, this is as common as you could imagine. Someone offers you a juicy ticket at a discount and since you most likely want to avoid the line, you end up accepting the offer. However, what you have just bought is nothing more than a fake ticket, and when you figure it out, the scammers are already long gone with your money. Always buy transportation tickets from official ticket offices or websites to avoid this scam.
Write Down Emergency Info:
Remember: emergency numbers will not be the same as the ones used at home. Having a good copy or note of all the emergency info proves to be a good measure to stay protected while traveling. When an emergency happens, you will be ready to deal with the situation thanks to having all the required information at hand.
Safeguard your Hotel Room and Vacation Home:
If possible, always choose a location that has unmarked swipe cards rather than numbered keys for every room. This way, if you ever lose that card, the thief will never know where your room is. Also, always lock your hotel door and vacation rental when leaving the area. Remember that thieves are extremely common and since most of your valuables are there, safeguarding your accommodation proves to be a good security measure.
Be Wary of Public Wi-Fi and Protect your Personal Data:
Public WiFi might not be secure at all. Since anyone can connect to the WiFi without any sort of authentication, cyber criminals can easily hack an existing network and will proceed to make many attacks. They could track your emails, messages, web page request and even obtain valuable information like passwords or financial data.
Using VPNs might help a lot as they will protect you from hackers by encrypting all the device’s internet traffic. However, when it comes to identity theft cases, cyber thieves manage to bypass your device – there is always the case when someone forgets to turn on their VPN. So instead of relying on a tool that can be easily forgotten, use identity theft protection services.
With these identity theft protection services, you will never have to worry about being the victim of cyber thieves that can take out loans, buy expensive stuff and even mess with your credit ratings. Sadly, unlike other crimes, identity theft victims tend to discover that they have been trapped only when it is too late.
Thanks to these protection services, it is easy to act like a normal person 24/7, even in Public WiFi areas, due to being protected under a system that will verify and alert you in case something feels wrong with the network.
Travel Safety for Women vs. Men:
Even though many people claim that women should be the ones who must be more alert and wary while traveling, this also applies to men. When you become the victim of a travel scam or if anything bad happens, gender matter little to nothing. That is why following the previously discussed measures and studying the common travel scams are recommended activities for both women and men.
Never travel alone unless you have a lot of experience. Also, act normal. This means that you should walk with confidence and have information about the location beforehand.
Conclusion. Is Traveling Becoming Safer?
Sadly, the world seems to be getting messier as time passes. Traveling may be becoming more dangerous in certain countries due to the current world situation. Never try to go out without following any kind of security measure. Follow our other important tips of keeping your home and family safe during holidays. Traveling will become simpler and more secure in the future, but for now, perhaps it’s best not to test your luck.