thief

7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Theft While Traveling

Mikey Rox — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 09:30:37 +0000

Vacation is a time for rest and relaxation. But your good-time getaway can quickly turn into a living nightmare if you're the victim of theft while you're away from home. Lock down your loot and guard your identity when you travel abroad with these helpful tips on how to protect yourself.

1. Keep Your Money Hidden

Listen, we all know you're a baller with the big bills on vacay, but let's keep that our little secret. The less money you flash around in public, the fewer chances a would-be thief has to target you.

"I always kept my money hidden, and never ever pulled money out," says frequent traveler and blogger Stephen Roe, who lived in Tijuana, Mexico for five years without becoming a victim of theft. "Other Americans would pull out a wallet to pay. I would always choose to select the money in my pocket and only pull out the amount I needed. That way, potential criminals wouldn't know how much I had."

Roe adds, "In addition, it's best to pay in the local currency whenever possible. Whipping out American dollars, even if it is accepted, can mark you as a potential target."

Travel author Susan Schenck suggests a similar strategy with your debit card.

"When going to an ATM, have the card in a money belt," she relays. "Make sure there are no loiterers around the area, though often they are even across the street. Go into the bank to count the money. There is a security guard there, often with a gun. Then place it all in your money belt. This is critical. I have so many friends who stuck the money in a pocket only to find it was gone when they got home. Pros can pickpocket you without your feeling anything. Keep the money belt well hidden under your pants."

2. Use Credit Cards Wisely

First, never use a debit card abroad. If it gets stolen, your funds can get depleted and it will take time for the bank to release the funds, if they decide you weren't responsible. Trying to settle these types of matters while you're on vacation abroad is definitely not ideal.

Travel expert Ferdinand Goetzen suggests avoiding using your card in questionable places. "This is especially important when traveling in less developed nations," he says. "Payment security infrastructure can often be lacking so it's best to avoid using your card unless it is a trusted venue or bank."

But credit cards can be helpful when used in safe environments, and can be a better alternative to carrying cash around. It's better to lose a credit card than cash. Credit card companies typically don't hold you accountable for fraudulent charges, as long as you report it quickly. Keep track of your cards carefully so you know if you've lost one, and set up alerts to notify you of purchases so you can see right away if someone has stolen your card information.

3. Use Caution When Taking Taxis

Taxis and nefarious taxi drivers can cause unnecessary trouble if you don't keep your wits about you. Schenck advises to write down the cab number before you get in for reference if you accidentally leave something behind. When exiting a cab, if you have luggage in the trunk, do not get out of the cab until the driver does; they've been known to high-tail out of there with your valuable belongings in tow. And never ask a taxi to wait while you go to the ATM if you leave stuff in the cab. "One friend lost her laptop that way," Schenck says.

4. Use a Dummy Wallet for Fake-Outs

Want to trick the trickster? Have a fake wallet with outdated credit cards and maybe $20 in it that you can hand to anyone who holds you up. They want a quick getaway and aren't going to sit there and check the dates on the cards, says Schenck.

5. Keep $20 Where the Sun Don't Shine

Well, maybe not in the sense that you're thinking of, but it's not a bad idea to keep a $20 bill in your socks, bra, or other safe, close-to-your-body area in a hidden garment in the event that you're robbed. Twenty dollars goes a long way in many countries, and you'll at least be able to get home or to the nearest police station.

6. Bring a Separate Small Backpack for Valuable Objects

"One of the most common thefts occurs when people leave valuables in their main luggage and leave it in the hotel lobby or in the baggage compartment on buses or trains," Goetzen warns. "I always bring a small backpack with all of my most important belongings because I don't like to let them out of my sight."

Also, stop assuming that your belongings will be safe with the friendly, nice-looking people next to you at transportation hubs while you go to the bathroom. Even friendly, nice-looking people steal things, and you'll be quite S.O.L. (and super P.O.ed) if they gang the bag with your tickets, passports, and wallet while you're taking a whiz.

7. Use Common Sense

Don't travel to areas that aren't policed, stay out of dark alleys, and don't go anywhere with anybody you don't know. Don't drink so much when you're in unfamiliar territory either. It makes you do stupid things and make poor decisions, and you become a sitting duck for criminals. Your mom totally would've told you so.

Do you have tips on how to protect yourself when traveling abroad? Let's discuss in the comments below.

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This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Your SSN Can Now Be Accurately Guessed Using Date and Place of Birth

Paul Michael — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:29:57 +0000

It seems that nothing is safe any more. And now your Social Security Number, the lynchpin to you credit score, taxes, government benefits and more, is under attack. It can be guessed, with a staggering degree of accuracy, using simple information you probably have on sites like Facebook and MySpace.

We have all heard the stories about Identity Theft and we all take precautions to be careful with our SSN. In fact, these days I’ll only put it down on a form if I absolutely have to; that includes medical forms that you often have to fill out when you visit a GP or specialist. But that may now be a moot point, because two Carnegie Mellon researchers have basically reverse-engineered the SSN formula to gain access to that most precious and private number.

John Timmer of Arstechnica.com reported yesterday that these two bright sparks used two practices that had been designed to protect the number, and make it fraud-proof, as a way to discover the code from those two simple facts – date of birth, and place of birth; two facts that are on most public profiles.

To know how they did it, you need to know the basic structure of the SSN. As John describes it, it splits into three zones:

The first three digits are based on the state where the SSN was originally assigned, and the next two are what's termed a group number. The last four digits are ostensibly assigned at random. Since the late 1980s, the government has promoted an initiative termed "Enumeration at Birth" that seeks to ensure that SSNs are assigned shortly after birth, which should limit the circumstances under which individuals apply for them later in life (and hence, make fraudulent applications easier to detect).

From there, the article gets pretty heavily into some technical data and statistics that I won’t bore you with here. If you’re interested, read all the details of the algorithm that reconstructs your Social Security Number. But all you really need to know is that if the SSN code has been cracked, or hacked, then it won’t be long before that information gets into the wrong hands.

So, should you be worried, and what can you do?

Well, as John Timmer explains, although some of the SSN digits are relatively easy to obtain, others are more tricky:

Getting the last four digits right was substantially harder. The authors used a standard of getting the whole SSN right within 10 tries, and could only manage that about 0.1 percent of the time even in the later period. Still, small states were somewhat easier—for Delaware in 1996, they had a five percent success rate.

BUT, and this is a big but, it seems as though modern security systems and automated forms DO NOT REQUIRE the whole SSN. As long as it is cross-referenced with the date and place of birth, up to two numbers can be incorrect. John continues:

They often allow several failed verification attempts per IP address before blacklisting it. Given these numbers, the authors estimate that even a moderate-sized botnet of 10,000 machines could successfully obtain identity verifications for younger residents of West Virginia at a rate of 47 a minute.

Think about it: 47 a minute! Considering how prevalent ID theft is around the world, and how sophisticated thieves are becoming, I think this is enough to cause concern for the average US citizen. And as such, it may be time to start taking precautions.

First, see if you can remove your private information, or replace your place and date of birth with something more vague on your social networking sites and other public profiles. That one should be relatively easy, if a little time consuming.

Second, continue to practice good personal security. Shred any important documents that you are throwing out, and don’t leave sensitive data in a place where thieves could easily find it. I know a lot of people throw things in the car and forget about it, but if the car were stolen or broken into, it could be the start of much bigger problems.

Third, keep on top of your credit reports. You are allowed one free each year from each of the three major credit bureaus. DO NOT use freecreditreport.com, they charge. Instead, go to Annual Credit Report here. If you see anything suspicious or just plain wrong, contact the bureau immediately.

Finally, consider some ID theft protection. I use LifeLock because I got a great deal on it, and although not 100% effective, it does cover me if anything should happen. But LifeLock is basically just a method of putting 90-day fraud alerts on your credit reports, which you can do yourself for free. You can find the information for each bureau here:

EXPERIAN

EQUIFAX

TRANSUNION

For further reading, visit the FTC’s site. It has some great information. Stay safe folks.

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This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

What Do You and a Credit Card Thief Have in Common?

Linsey Knerl — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:51:51 +0000

I've always considered myself to be an educated credit card user. I keep my balances low, pay on time, and don't do anything that could potentially come back to haunt me.. Little did I know, that by playing it cool, I was putting myself at risk for being treated like a criminal.

Remember my recent Kmart Double Coupon excursion that left me more than a little irritated? Part of my frustration stemmed from the outcome of my purchase – or rather my NON purchase. I never got to buy all the goods in my overflowing cart that day, and the major cause of my headache was the decline of my credit card. For real.

I don't play games with my credit. I kept this card in my wallet, but barely used it for in-store purchases. I think I had used it to reserve hotel rooms from time to time, but almost always ended up paying with cash or a debit card when it came time to check out. The card was a little worn from carrying it around all that time, but really didn't get much swipeage (if you know what I mean.)

“Your money is no good here.” Upon entering the checkout line, I tried to swipe the card. Apparently, the reader machine was having a hard time making sense of my card. The Kmart cashier suggested that I put a plastic bag over the card and try again. No go. So I suggested that she type in the numbers manually.... after some discussion with a manager, she did. My card was declined. I was flabbergasted.

I tried, unsuccessfully, to use other methods of payment, but due to the code that was coming up for why my card was declined... I couldn't get any other method (including check) to work. I left fuming, and received precious advice from the Kmart cashier. “That's why I always carry cash.” Thanks, lady, but we're talking over $350 cash, and with all the muggings going on in my area this time of year, I think I'll pass.

I hang my head in shame... and confusion. I felt like a loser, but I wasn't sure why. I got home and immediately noticed an email from my credit card company, alerting me to “problems” with my account. I called, and I was told the following:

This time of year is ripe for credit card fraud, so my card (along with every one else's) was being monitored especially well
My account was showing “suspicious” activity, specifically, a $16 Subway charge and a $30 gas charge – all in one week.

Because of the shocking nature of the recent flurry in activity, my card was flagged as suspect for fraud. (I.e., they thought that the two charges in one month was a little shady, so they froze my account... hours before I headed to Kmart.)
They were very sorry, but they have to think of the safety of their customers. Big purchases (like that monster charge of $200+ at Kmart) was unspeakably high. It could only mean theft.

OK.... so I argued (politely, of course) with the rep. How can I possibly use my card if small charges like this could be flagged as fraud? What if I was traveling out of town and needed to crash in a hotel slightly nicer than the Wagon Wheel Inn? Would the $80 charge throw my account into a meltdown? How could I be sure I could count on my card?

After a long letter to the executive office and a phone call later, I got everything straightened out (and a nice compensation of award points, to boot.) Basically, there was no surefire way any one of us could guarantee the same thing wouldn't happen. Here's what was recommended, however:

If you plan on using your card after a period of long inactivity (sitting in your freezer, perhaps) start slow, make many small purchases, and work your way up to larger purchases. Be prepared for it to cause an alert to be placed on your card, and carry a backup method of payment, if you can.
Be aware of your spending patterns. In my case, my credit card had only two charges each month for over a year. They were recurring charges for Netflix and my newspaper, so they were very predictable. When my spending went OUTSIDE of this pattern, it alerted my credit card company. It might help to call ahead and let them know if you plan on making large purchase outside of your pattern, or if you are going to be out of town with a need for easy access to funds.
Monitor your card carefully. Just because they caught my intentional purchase, doesn't mean they'll catch everything. Small fraudulent purchases are more likely to go under the radar and cause financial damage than large ones. Read your statements every month.

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to get your car stolen

Paul Michael — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:32:21 +0000

Every 26.4 seconds, a vehicle is stolen in the U.S.* If you want yours to be one of those vehicles, just follow these simple guidelines and the thief will be driving away in your nice set of wheels before you can say “follow that car.”

1: Own one of the top 10 most stolen cars in America

A report put out by the NICB in 2007 lists the following cars as the most stolen in the nation (the list varies slightly by state, go to the NICB to find your specific area). No surprise to learn that the ever reliable Honda tops the list, again.

1: 1995 Honda Civic

2: 1991 Honda Accord

3: 1989 Toyota Camry

4: 1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup

5: 2005 Dodge Ram Pickup

6: 1994 Chevy C/K 1500 Pickup

7: 1994 Nissan Sentra

8: 1994 Dodge Caravan

9: 1994 Saturn SL

10: 1990 Acura Integra

If you’re wondering where all the fancy cars are (Mercedes, Hummer, Porsche etc), just put yourself in the position of a thief. These cars are top-dollar items and are much more difficult to “get rid of.” The good old ’95 Civic is everywhere. It hardly draws attention to itself.

2: Live in California

6 of the top 10 cities for car theft are in California (if you live in Modesto and own a ’95 Civic, the odds are really running high that you'll be the victim of a car thief). Here’s how they rank:

Rank** Metropolitan Statistical Area Vehicles stolen
1 Modesto, CA 7,071
2 Las Vegas/Paradise, NV 22,465
3 Stockton, CA 7,586
4 Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ 41,000
5 Visalia/Porterville, CA 4,257
6 Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, WA 33,494
7 Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, CA 20,268
8 San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA 28,845
9 Fresno, CA 8,478
10 Yakima, WA 2,212

**Ranked by the rate of vehicle thefts reported per 100,000 people based on the 2000 Census. *Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau

3: Leave the keys in the ignition while you run an errand.

Any cop will tell you that car theft is usually a crime of opportunity. A good friend of mine recently fell victim to this. Her husband started up the car to let it warm up, went inside to grab the kids for school, came back outside literally 1 minute later and the car was gone. The same can happen if you pop to the ATM or check the mail. Leave the keys in the car and you’re just asking for trouble.

4: Park at the back of the lot at malls, sporting arenas or even at work.

I know a few people who park way at the back of the lot. They have their reasons, too: it’s good to walk further (fair enough), there’s always a spot at the back, and the favorite is that they’re much less likely to get a dent or ding. That’s all well and good, but thieves like it nice and quiet, away from the crowds. And your shiny, ding-free car just looks even more tempting now. The back of the lot is a car thief’s equivalent of being a kid in a candy store.

5: Don’t get LoJack

Most cars these days come with a factory-installed alarm. It may deter a few criminals but most professional car thieves know how to disable the alarm…and they’re exceptionally quick at it, too.

LoJack however is a different story. It’s linked directly to law enforcement, it can be installed in any number of places on your car, and over 90% of cars stolen with a LoJack system are recovered within 24 hours. If your car isn’t recovered in that time, you get a complete refund of the MSRP of the car. You also get insurance discounts. That’s basically a good way of knowing that these things really do deter thieves. If you’ve got LoJack, car thieves will almost always move on; it’s just not worth the risk.

6: Don’t keep your car in the garage

Sadly, I’m one of these people. We ran out of storage room in the house, we don’t have a basement and so we spilled over into the garage. I park outside now and thus run a much higher risk of having my car stolen. Not only is it more easily accessible, it’s also advertising itself to thieves. “Out of sight, out of mind” is true in this case. If your car is nicely hidden in a locked garage, only a very determined thief (who knows what’s in there) will attempt to break into the garage and then the car.

7: Keep a spare set of keys in the car

How about in some place the thieves would look first, like above the sun visor, in the center console or, better still, in the glove box. That way, if the thief does get into your car, he won’t have to hotwire the car but can instead make an even quicker getaway.

8: Leave your car unlocked

It works every time. Car thieves will often just work their way down a row of cars parked on the street, trying the handle of each one and moving on. And if yours is unlocked, bingo, they’re in. The Arizona police informed me that if you leave your car unlocked, you have a 1 in 30 chance of having it stolen. Those are pretty good odds, right? Combine this with number 6 and you’ve handed your car to the thief on a silver platter.

9: Leave your valuables clearly visible in the car

Give the would-be thief a reason to break the window or jimmy the lock. Once they’re in and rummaging around for jewelry, money, personal information and credit cards, they may just decide to take the whole car. One crime leads to another.

10: Park in a dimly-lit area

Street lighting; overhead lighting in parking lots; the glow from late night stores; all of these areas illuminate the car thief while at work. Better to park in an area with no lighting, so that the criminal can get to work under cover of darkness.

These are my top ten tips for improving your chances of getting your car stolen. Don’t follow them and hopefully you won’t be calling to report a stolen car any time soon.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: