Many travellers feel the excitement when they travel to distant countries. Their luggage has been packed and the papers are complete. We may feel that our trip will be a roaring success. We are expecting to return with a lot of great stories and marvellous pictures to share with friends and family. However, bad things could still happen during our trip and it is important for us to get fully prepared. Obviously, we shouldn’t travel in fear, but it is also ridiculous to travel without having any security consideration. It is not possible for us to avoid talking to strangers and we can’t isolate ourselves from locals.

However, we should be practical and alert. In touristy locations, there are many individuals who regularly make a living of travellers, both legally and illegally. In this case, it is important for us to maintain a healthy suspicion about things that could happen ahead. Among the worst things that could happen to us is that our wallet, purse or small bag is snatched away by pickpockets. There are things we should consider to avoid this incidence:

Don’t put it in the back pocket

It is a bad idea to put our wallet in the back pocket, because it can be picked very easily. Many people don’t like the bulge, while bringing the wallet in the front, but people won’t be able to pick it.

Avoid tightly packed crowd

Pickpockets often operate in areas with large, packed crowd. In this case, there would be a lot of physical contacts and bumping. It won’t be easy to feel that our pocket has become a little lighter. If we can’t avoid the crowd, it is better to take the wallet from pocket and squeeze it tightly on our belly.

Don’t act like a billionaire

We shouldn’t act like a billionaire, even if we are real billionaires. It means that we shouldn’t count money in public and it is important to find a corner and hide while counting our money. It is also a good idea to group cash based on its denomination, in different slots of our wallet. This will make it easier for us to take the amount of money that we want. In this case, we need to blend with other tourists and try not to stand out, especially if we bring a lot of money. We should be fully prepared by counting our money in the hotel room or other private locations.

Don’t bring everything

When we want to take a short trip outside the hotel, it is a good idea to leave credit cards, ID cards and other important things, while bringing enough amount of money. Cards and papers can be hidden behind the hotel fridge or other unusual locations. It means that if we lose our wallet, we will lose only some money and no more.

When travelling to a country, even if it is famous being friendly to tourists, we should be aware that not everyone is our friend.