Author: zerothree

Shady individuals love taking advantage of gullible tourists, and it is quite easy to become a victim if you do not remain careful throughout your journey. As seasoned travel professionals, we are not the average tourist, but getting scammed is still possible and it happens to the best of us. Through it is impossible to predict when you will be scammed, you can, however, learn what type of scams exist and how you can deal with such situations to make your journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Here are a few of the most common scams that you may encounter, while on your journey:

Damaged Taxi Meter

Cab drivers that you find near train stations or airports have been known to fool tourists by pulling this stunt. As soon as you get into the taxi and begin to drive, your driver will inform you that the meter is damaged and will charge you an insane amount at the end of the ride – often managing to rip off 100s of dollars from naïve individuals! In order to avoid such situations, make sure to ask your driver if the meter is working or negotiate the rates before you get in.

Free Bracelet Scams

Female travelers are the most common victims of the bracelet scam. During your trip, you may encounter a friendly man or woman who will place a free friendship bracelet on your wrist or give you a twig of rosemary as a symbol of good luck. Once they’ve handed the items over to you, they will demand some money in return, and if you refuse to hand over the money, they will create a scene. Refrain from allowing anyone to place anything on your body, and remain cautious of individuals offering you free stuff.

Clothing Spills

This scam is quite common in Europe. A tourist walking on the street will feel something drop on their back or shoulder, which might be bird poop or some food condiment. A stranger of friendly nature will then approach you and try to wipe off the mess whilst cleverly removing your waller from your back pocket. In situations like these, do not allow anyone to help you and go straight to a restroom to clean up the mess.

The Fake Officer Scam

This one is a common one throughout the world. A shady individual will approach you to offer drugs or other illicit items, and while he is offering you those items, two police officers will appear out of nowhere. They will then ask you to provide your passport and wallet. You have to remain cautious of such scams and never hand over any important documents to anyone. If you come across such a situation, ask the police officers for their identification and let them know that you will call up the police to confirm their identity. Alternatively, you can tell them that you’ve left your passport and wallet at the hotel safe – this is bound to scare them off!

Prevent Theft While Going Through Security

A lot of people put their guard down while going through security screening simply because it’s “security”, but the area is very susceptible to theft. One way thieves get away with stealing involves using the metal detectors as a distraction. While one person intentionally sets off the metal detector preventing you from passing through, an accomplice is stealing valuables on the other side. In order to prevent this kind of theft, make sure you are not putting your belongings into the machine until you are ready to walk through to the other side.

Protect Yourself from In-flight Theft

In-flight theft is more common than you’d think. It mainly occurs when passengers are sleeping or are distracted and the perpetrators can be fellow passengers or even flight attendants. To Keep your belongings safe while flying, don’t leave any valuables in the pockets of your jacket if you hang it up, place your carry-on upside down in the overhead compartments so that the front pocket can’t be accessed, lock your carry-ons if you can so that they can’t be opened while you are sleeping or using the restroom, and don’t place your bags under the seat in front of you with the pockets facing forward where the passenger in front of you could reach inside. Four things you should always keep on your person are your ID and passport, a credit card, your cell phone, and essential prescription medications. These items are the hardest to replace while traveling, so should anything be stolen or lost, you will at least have the essentials with you.

The fact of the matter is that no matter how equipped or prepared you may think you are, you may eventually end up falling for one of these scams. Because frequent flyers are so comfortable traveling, it is easy to let your guard down doing something you’ve done a hundred times. Staying up to date with common scams and ways theft occurs will help you stay vigilant and recognize red flags.

Protecting your personal data is also very important. Here are some tips for keeping your personal information safe.

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Protecting Your Data While Traveling

Preparing for Unexpected Emergencies While Traveling

As much as you plan, you can never truly predict what will happen while traveling. As scary as it is to think about an unexpected emergency or disaster, it is always good to prepare should something happen. Next time you travel, think about preparing an emergency bag that you can grab in a flash if you have to evacuate your hotel and may not be able to return. It may be a good idea to keep this bag on your person at all times just in case. Prior to leaving your home country, it is very important to do some preparation as well.

These are our suggestions on what to include in your emergency bag:

• Wallet – Leave the big wallet at home. Take a debit card and a credit card or two. While American Express may be your preferred card, it is not accepted everywhere, so make sure you have a backup. Make sure you always have your driver’s license or other ID, and if you belong to Priority Access lounges, bring those as well, and don’t forget to pack your Global Entry card if you have one. Be sure to take photos of each card, both sides, and upload them to a cloud storage account like Google Drive or Dropbox where you can access the files from any phone or computer. In case they are lost or stolen, you’ll need the information to contact your bank in order to cancel and replace them. You can also leave a copy with a family member who may be able to help while you are away.
• Cash – Have on hand a few hundred dollars in both US and local currency. The cheapest way to get cash without paying transaction fees is to use a debit card at an ATM once you arrive in your destination. It is best to use a hotel or indoor bank ATM to avoid being robbed
• Passport – Make sure your passport is valid for 6 months beyond your trip or you may be denied boarding. Before you go, scan all the pages of your passport and place them in a cloud storage account. It will expedite the replacement process if you lose it. If you do lose your passport, there is a good chance someone would return it if they know how to contact you. Put a sticker on the back cover letting the finder know who to call or email if found.
• Cell phone
• Portable cell phone charger
• Note pad and pen or pencil in case your cell phone dies. It might also be a good idea to take any important phone numbers with you on paper for the same reason.
• Car and/or house keys
• Glasses
• Map of the area in the event the GPS on your phone doesn’t work. Make sure you pin point where the closest embassy is located.
• Flash light – Luci EMRG lights are solar powered and inflatable so they are lightweight and don’t take up a lot of space.
• If you travel with your laptop, you may want a bag large enough to hold it as well. Be sure to remove all sensitive data from your local drive and store it on the cloud before leaving home. 

Good to Have in Case You are Stranded

• Multi-Functional toolkit – Amazon sells one for $22.95. It includes waterproof and shockproof case, a compass, carabiners, a whistle, a pen, a survival knife, paracord bracelets, a Saber card, a flashlight, a Firestarter kit, an emergency blanket, and more.
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Water purification tablets or drops for when boiling water is not possible
• Two plastic foldable water containers – one for gathering water, the other for water that has been purified
• Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol and/or Disinfectant wipes

Before You Go

The US State Department has a checklist you should review. It provides links to destination information, travel warnings, embassy locations, and more. You should also enroll in STEP when traveling abroad. This allows the US Embassy to get in touch with you in the event of a disaster and will help family members to do the same. The State Department also published a category-by-category guide of every nation in the State Department database listed by level of precaution. Geopolitics change quickly, so be sure to confirm any State Department advisories and language before planning to travel abroad.

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Protecting Your Data While Traveling

Scams to Watch Out for While Traveling Abroad

People who travel frequently assume that they know how to keep themselves safe when it comes to keeping their valuables safe. However, there are certain security risks that often go unnoticed, especially when it comes to data security.

There is an increased risk of your devices or laptops getting hacked when traveling abroad. Being a foreigner at an unfamiliar location increases your chances of becoming a victim of such things. Here are some tips that you can use to keep your data protected, no matter where you travel.

Do Not Use Public Internet Connections

If you want to keep your data secure when traveling abroad, the best way to do so is to refrain from using public WIFI or Bluetooth connections, as these are the most common methods for hackers to access your data. Though you may find it tempting to charge your mobile devices on USB stations, plugging into a regular electrical outlet is always a better and much safer option. Moreover, make sure that the WIFI and Bluetooth settings of your mobile devices and laptops are turned off, in order to make sure that they do not automatically connect to the public networks. 

Even if it is absolutely necessary to use a public WIFI connection, make sure not to access your emails or conduct any transactions through online banking in order to keep your data secure. If you need to make a transaction, make sure to use your own WIFI hotspot. Set up a VPN account or browse using the incognito mode for added security – this enables you to keep your IP address and data hidden.

Remove All Personal Data from your Mobile

Public connections or WIFI networks are not the only way hackers can gain access to your data. A hacker does not have to virtually connect to your device to gain access to your data if they can easily do it the old-fashioned way. If you want to keep your personal data secure, make sure that you don’t have any sensitive materials stored on your mobile devices or laptops and keep your hard drive that contains all your private data at home. It is a good idea to regularly update passwords to anything important like online banking, email, cloud storage, and even sites like Facebook which hold a lot of personal information. Using an app like LastPass can help you generate strong passwords and will store securely them for you. Just make sure the settings are set so that it does not automatically start up when your device is turned on and that it needs a secure password to be accessed each time.

Make Extra Copies of Your Personal Documents

Before going on your trip, don’t forget to make extra copies of your personal documents such as IDs and passports and leave them at home in case your documents get stolen whilst traveling. Also, store an extra copy of your personal documents online where you can easily access them when required. You can store your documents on cloud storage, using services like Drop Box and Google Drive, which are free to use and offer encryption as well.

Stay Away from ATMs in Unfamiliar Locations

Do not use ATMS in unfamiliar locations while traveling, as express kidnappings at ATMs is quite common in several countries. If you have to use an ATM, go to a secure location such as the bank or your hotel. Virtual kidnapping has also become quite common, where the kidnapper calls up an individual to gain access to their personal information and then calls their family members to convince them that they have been kidnapped whilst demanding a ridiculous amount of money as ransom. Do not give your personal information to anyone, especially on the phone, and remain cautious wherever you go. If you get a call to your hotel room from someone claiming to work for the hotel asking to verify information, do not say anything – don’t even tell them your name if they ask for it. Instead, hang up and call the front desk yourself to verify the person calling you was in fact someone from the hotel and not someone trying to scam you or your family.

It might seem like there is a lot to worry about, but taking these simple precautions goes a long way in keeping you and your information safe.

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Scams to Watch Out for While Traveling Abroad

Preparing for Unexpected Emergencies While Traveling

Starting January 22, 2018, the TSA will require that all domestic travelers who don’t have a driver’s license from a Real ID compliant state will need to provide an alternate form of acceptable identification. Some states currently working on becoming compliant have been granted an extension and residents living in those states will be able to travel with their current licenses for the duration of the extension, but after October 10, 2020, all air travelers will be required to have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or alternate acceptable identification to fly domestically.

What is the Real ID Act?

The Real ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 after the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission that the federal government set minimum security standards for how states issue identification and how that identification is used. The act is meant to make sure that a person presenting an ID is actually presenting a valid ID. According to Justine Whelan, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, “The act prevents the production of fake IDs and ensures that all identification that is used has certain features which prevent tampering or are difficult to replicate.” These features include anti-counterfeit technology, such as holograms, which several states already use.

Who is Real ID compliant?

Real ID enforcement has been implemented in phases in some places over the last two years, but currently only 28 states are compliant. With the TSA implementing Real ID requirements before every state is compliant, the Department of State is recommending that residents who live in states that don’t meet the requirements should apply for a passport as soon as possible to avoid any travel inconveniences. Only about 40% of the US population have passports, so waiting periods to receive a new passport when applying could start to get longer.

While having Real ID-compliant identification to board a plane will be the main concern for most people, the new regulations will affect more than just federally regulated commercial aircrafts. It prohibits Federal agencies from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the minimum standards for certain purposes such as accessing Federal facilities and entering nuclear power plants. 

How will this affect the MICE industry?

With only 28 states currently compliant and most extensions ending October 10, 2018, companies with meetings and programs already planned in the future where travel is required need to make sure attendees will be able to get there under the new restrictions. Getting this information out to attendees as soon as possible will help make sure everyone has the proper travel identification and will help minimize last minute cancellations due to travel issues.

In the long run, once all states are compliant everything should be back to normal, but until then these restrictions will make planning a program even more time consuming. Making sure attendees can actually travel to events is another task on an already lengthy list. If you are finding you don’t have time in your day to do everything, Thallo’s services can help whittle down your to do’s so that you have more time to focus on the important details. Let us know how we can help you.

To see the most up-to-date status of your state or territory, visit https://www.dhs.gov/real-id#CurrentStatus

To see what forms of identification are TSA acceptable, visit 

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification