Don't wear jewelry or an expensive looking watch as that is an invitation to be robbed.



Wear a money belt under you shirt or blouse to help foil pickpockets or robbers. It is a good idea to put your things in a Ziploc bag and then put the bag in your money belt. The reason for this is that the money belt and the items in it will get soaked from your perspiration, especially in hot climates, and this will keep them dry. Do not open up your money belt in public to take out cash, traveler's checks, or credit cards.

It might be worth it before you leave on vacation to sew a few pockets on the inside of your slacks, skirts, or underclothing where you can stash some spare cash when you are out and about for the day. If you are carrying credit cards, cash, or traveler's checks on your person, you should divide them up and put them in different pockets. Then, if a pickpocket is successful, he or she won't steal everything. It also makes sense to use a safety pin to make each pocket opening smaller so that a pickpocket will have difficulty pulling anything out of your pockets without you being aware of it.

When you notice a number of children gathering around you in the street and causing a commotion, you are likely being targeted by pickpockets who are using children to distract you. If a few of the locals start a shoving and yelling match near you, they might be a diversion for a pickpocket. Another distraction is to have someone fall down in front of you. When you stoop over to help them, the pickpocket goes to work. A variation involves a couple of thieves working together, one dropping some ice cream, ketchup or mustard on one of your shoulders and then distracting you by pointing to the mess and helping you to wipe it off. The other pickpocket then goes into action.

Pickpockets prefer to target men with their wallets invitingly exposed in their back pockets, and obese people because they are less likely to feel their pockets being picked. You must be especially vigilant in airports, bus and train stations and watch your luggage, camera, and laptop like a hawk as they can disappear in an instant. Keep in mind that pickpockets love tourists, especially when they are in crowds.

Always be alert when you wear a backpack. A thief could slash the bottom of it, spilling the contents all over the street where he and his partners quickly grab your possessions and run away in different directions.

Usually muggings happen at night and not in the bustling part of the city. If you are accosted by an armed robber, don't argue or resist. Give them what they want and be thankful you don't get hurt. What they take from you can always be replaced and just isn't worth risking your life over.

After we read Bob Arno's book on how people can avoid cons, thefts, and street scams, we felt that it would be a valuable book for anyone who goes on vacation, or travels for business, to also read. It is chock-full of information and photos that show you how many scams work. There is no limit as to what criminals can conspire to think of to rip-off and steal from unsuspecting tourists.

Bob is one of the world's foremost experts on street crime, scams, and identity theft. If you are interested in learning how to protect yourself when on holidays as well as at home, you may want to read his book, "Travel Advisory! How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams While Traveling". It may be available at your local library. If not, it is available through his website, BobArno.com, or Amazon.com.

He has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, ABC's 20/20, The Travel Channel, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and has numerous articles written about him in USA Today, National Geographic Traveler, Fortune Magazine, Time Magazine, and The New York Times.

His book is humorous, full of true stories, as well as many photos of pickpockets and street scam artists in action. In our opinion, his book is a valuable resource, and a must-read for anyone who wants to find out how to protect themselves and their family when traveling, and even in their own home town.