Traveling out of the country can be exciting and a little scary! While there are so many new experiences to discover, new cultures to learn about, there are also dangers to be aware of. When you are in a foreign country, you are possibly facing language barriers and other culture confusion. Both of these situations can make you vulnerable to tourist theft. Of course if you have a criminal record yourself, and you have yet to obtain a pardon from Pardon Services Canada, you may not be let into these countries and will therefore avoid be robbed.
In some countries, local criminals prey on frazzled and careless tourists. Those distracted by sights and currency confusion are easy targets. It is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with each country’s currency and payment methods before you even leave the United States. If you are visiting a country for the first time this is especially true. Even if this is a subsequent visit, it is still good advice to give yourself a refresher course. So, which countries are notorious for tourist theft?
Italy, particularly Rome, has been known for having a high pick-pocket rate. These sneaky petty criminals often work in pairs or groups, using one person to distract the tourist in some way while the others steal the tourist’s bag, wallet or purse. Many times the thieves are not what you would expect. Many Roman pick-pockets are teenage girls and even kids! Beware of any groups of young people who approach you while in Rome!
Malaysia has also had problems with pick-pockets and tourist theft. Again, these criminals work in teams and often use children as a ruse to distract busy tourists. Another thing you need to worry about in parts of Malaysia is overcharging by taxi drivers. If you are unfamiliar with the normal fare for a trip in a taxi, some drivers will take advantage of this and charge you three or more times the normal rate. Busy streets are also a prime place for purse and bag snatchers. In these situations they will run up behind you and grab your purse from your shoulder and run off.
Hungary is a country with its fair share of tourist scams. Most notably are scams involving restaurants and clubs. In these scams, restaurants may present foreign patrons with a ridiculously high bill, and then use force to make the patrons pay. The U.S. Embassy has had reports from victims of this type of crime stating that a member of their party was held at the restaurant while they were forced to go to an ATM for enough money to cover their bill.
There are always ways to protect yourself from tourist theft. Keep your belongings close to you, always be on alert and most importantly, use your common sense!
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