It takes seconds to happen, minutes to realize it's happened and hours or days to deal with the consequences. Your wallet or purse is gone -- and with it your cash, bank cards and I.D. We may be pre-occupied with news-makers like terrorism, violent crime and health scares, but we're more likely to have our trips affected by something as simple and quick as petty theft.

Theft can happen just about anywhere, but any place that draws a crowd is rife with opportunities for criminals. In fact, some of the pick-pocketing hotspots aren't developing countries or impoverished areas.

For example, travel review website TripAdvisor.com's list of Top Places for Pickpockets includes tourist must-sees like:

Barcelona and Madrid, Spain

Rome and Florence, Italy

Paris, France

Prague, Czech Republic

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Athens, Greece

Hanoi, Vietnam

This list is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Most government travel advice includes a warning about petty theft in major cities, tourist areas and on public transportation -- even in countries that have a relatively low crime rate. Travellers make easy marks because not only are they perceived to be well-off (they can afford to travel, after all), they're also distracted, unfamiliar with their surroundings and often let their guard down when they're on vacation. In a crowd, it's very easy to distract someone or lift a wallet without anyone noticing.

Pickpocketing can be hard to prevent because the ploys are often well-prepared and rehearsed. Thieves can be of any age or from any background, including children and the elderly, and they often work in pairs or groups. Your best defence is knowing a few tricks to outsmart them.

Tips to dodge the criminals

Empty out. Before you go, clean out your wallet and purse of any unnecessary items you won't need -- especially ones that would be hard to replace. Find out what documents you're required to carry and leave unnecessary items at home or in the hotel's safe. Carrying one debit card, one credit card and one form of I.D. is usually enough, according to the U.S. Embassy.

Make copies. Before you leave, make a copy of any important information you're taking with you -- like the identification page of your passport, travel documents, credit cards or bank cards and travel insurance policy. Leave a copy at home, and carry a copy separate from the original items. This step can help you quickly replace and report any stolen items.

Learn the tricks. If you know what to look for, you'll have a better idea how to react. Two of the most common tactics include:

- Bump and snatch: someone bumps into you in a crowded place, or you're swarmed by a group while trying to get off the subway. As a result, you don't feel someone stealing your wallet.

- Distract and grab: there are many variations of this scheme, but they all involve one person distracting you while a second person relieves you of your valuables. It could be a pushy sales person or someone asking for help or directions. You might also have something thrown at you or spilled on you, and someone offers to help you clean up.

Be alert at high-risk places and busy times. You're more likely to get hit in certain places (like beaches, public transportation, bus depots, train stations, airports, markets and tourist attractions) and during certain times of the year (like peak season, major holidays, festivals or sporting events). Use extra caution when using ATMs abroad.

Other high-risk places include confined spaces, doorways and archways where someone can easily pilfer your wallet and disappear from sight. For instance, if you're sitting near the subway doors, a thief can grab your purse and slip off just before the doors shut. Stay away from the doors, and cozy up to a wall if you're in a confined space to shelter your valuables.

Read up on the risk. Check out government travel advice and travel guides -- they point out the areas where crooks work and what tactics they use. (The U.S. State Department's Country Specific Information and the Overseas Security Advisory Council's Crime and Safety Reports often have detailed information.)

Know how to react. If you think you're about to become a victim, draw attention to yourself -- like yelling for the police. If you create a scene, the thieves may disappear. If someone is trying to start an argument with you or asking you for help, walk away.

What you shouldn't do is try to resist your attacker or attempt to chase the suspected thief. Either situation could escalate into violence. Besides, once your wallet is gone it's likely to be handed off to others. Grab the wrong person and you could wind up in even more trouble.

Dress down. Jewellery and designer clothing makes you an attractive target, so it's a good idea to dial down the displays of wealth. Also, be careful showing off your electronics like your digital camera, cell phone or music player.

One exception: A wedding band. Even if you're single, a plain metal band can deflect unwanted attention from members of the opposite sex.

Split up the valuables. Don't carry your cash and valuables all in one place, like a purse, backpack or wallet. Carrying valuables and documents in a laptop bag can be doubly risky as many thieves target computers.

Instead, try using a money belt or pouch that you can wear under your clothes to deny easy access to cash and documents. (Some people even carry a decoy or "dummy" wallet to thwart thieves.) If you need to carry a lot of local currency, divide it up amongst you and your traveling companions to cut your losses.

Keep it up front. Gentlemen: the back pocket is the worst place to keep your wallet, even if there's a button. A better solution is to carry it in your front pocket with an elastic band wrapped around it (to create friction if someone tries to remove it).

Ladies: leave the zipper-less purses at home, and clutch your purse under your arm, close to your body and towards the front where you can see it. Same goes for backpacks and messenger bags -- and don't put them down when you're making a purchase or at the ticket counter.

Keep your wits about you. Intoxicated travellers are easy to take advantage of and won't offer up much resistance. Thieves also prey on jet-lagged travellers and people burdened with luggage. Thefts are common on overnight trains or buses while passengers are sleeping.

Keep your head held high. Predators watch for people who look insecure, lost or unsure of themselves. Keep your chin up and exude confidence, and act like you know where you're going. (And keep the map out of sight.)

Overall, your goal is to look like a difficult target. Petty theft is a crime of opportunity, so thieves often move on to easier victims if you aren't worth their trouble.

If you're a victim:

- Report the crime to the local police. You may need a police report to replace your passport and prove to your bank that your cards were stolen so you aren't liable for charges.

- Contact your embassy to report the theft of your passport, and to start the process of getting a replacement. The embassy can also help if you need to get an emergency cash transfer from home.

- Contact your bank to cancel stolen cards and traveller's cheques, and the travel companies you're dealing with to replace any stolen tickets. If you have any joint accounts, you'll also want to notify the other person too.

Sources: TripAdvisor.com, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The U.S. State Department, U.S. Embassy in France.

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Credit card fraud and money safety abroad

Don't get scammed on vacation

Pack like a pro

 

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