Nothing to Report: Stay Sharp and Outsmart the Scammers

Nothing is worse than going on a lovely vacation only to become the victim of a scammer. Unfortunately, tourists are always popular targets for thieves because they are unfamiliar with the area and they often have valuable items on them.

Don’t be paranoid on your vacation—that would only spoil your fun. But do make an effort to be vigilant. Here are some quick tips to help you stay safe and outsmart the scammers on vacation.

Research Your Destination Carefully

The first thing you can do is research your destination well in advance to find out whether there are any common scams you should be aware of. Many scammers rely on the fact that tourists are unaware of how the scams work, so arm yourself with some prior knowledge.

Visit local forums, check out local websites, and ask other travelers about their experiences. You can stay one step ahead of the scammers this way, which is the best form of defense.

Choose a Recommended Hotel

You can save yourself a lot of problems by choosing a trustworthy hotel that has great reviews from other travelers. If you stay somewhere safe, you can lock away your valuables in your hotel room safe, or lock them in the safe at the reception, and then you won’t have to worry about them when you are out exploring.

Choose a hotel with a good reputation like the Orlando Residence Inn by Marriott, or look for other hotels in your chosen destination that travelers highly recommend, and you have a better chance of staying safer on your trip.

Buy Yourself a Money Belt

Pickpockets love tourists, but a money belt makes it a lot harder for them to steal from you. Wear yours under your clothing and keep your cash and cards inside, rather than carrying your valuables in your pockets or your bag.

Also, write down your card numbers and the emergency telephone number for your bank so you can cancel your cards if you need to. That way, losing your card will only be an inconvenience and won’t cost you anything.

Be Careful with Public WiFi

Always be careful using public WiFi connections on your vacation. These are not secure connections, so avoid accessing your banking website or any other sensitive sites while you are in a cafe or using WiFi somewhere else

Rental Car Scams

If you rent a car, watch out for classic rental car scams. Always take photos and videos of the car when you pick it up and make sure the person who checks over the car makes a note of any marks. Otherwise, you might find that they “discover” a scratch when you hand it back, for which they charge you with an extortionate fee.

You can often reduce the risk of this happening by choosing a reputable rental company in the first place.

Have Fun and Stay Safe

These are some easy ways to stay safe on your next trip and avoid being caught out by any scammers. There are a lot of common scams to look out for, but the truth is that you can avoid most of them by planning ahead and keeping your guard.

So don’t become a victim on your vacation, and have a great time without worrying about being scammed.