Pro tips for keeping your valuables safe when you travel

Barbara Glavish didn’t worry about keeping her belongings safe on a recent trip to Kuala Lumpur. That’s because she was carrying a slash-proof handbag, “so I could worry less about getting robbed,” she says.

So when Glavish stopped in a mall in the Malaysian capital, she fastened the high-security purse around to the strut of the heavy bench.

And sure enough, someone took the bait.

“A few minutes later, two young men came running around the corner and one grabbed for my purse,” remembers Glavish, a retired occupational therapist from Incline Village, Nev. “He was almost pulled off his feet as the bag didn’t come free. Thank goodness!”

Personal safety is becoming a real problem

There are more travelers like Glavish out there, experts say. Pickpockets have been on the prowl in popular tourism destinations this summer.

“I have heard of quite a few people who have had their cell phones or wallets stolen while traveling,” says Kendra Kroll, CEO of Undercover Solutions, which created the PortaPocket, a modular security system for travelers. “With the cost of living getting higher for us all, perhaps some people are getting desperate for relief and are resorting to stealing to get by.”

She’s right. As a consumer advocate, I also get complaints about pickpockets and thieves. And this year, they’ve mostly been about Europe.

It turns out Europe’s popular tourism destinations are a hotbed of pickpocketing activity. Last year in Amsterdam, the number of pickpocket complaints almost doubled from 2022. The capital of the Netherlands is among the top locations for pickpockets, according to a recent survey by a U.K. travel insurance company. Other problem countries include Italy, France and Spain.

There are strategies to avoid becoming a target and proven tools for keeping your valuables from getting stolen when you travel. But if you are like most travelers, there may be only one proven way to protect your stuff while you’re on vacation.

Here’s how to not become a target

The trick to staying safe isn’t necessarily to carry a high-security handbag — though that can certainly help. It is to make yourself look less like a target.

Glavish is a great example. Leaving a purse on a bench in Kuala Lumpur is practically an invitation to the bad guys. Good thing she had one of those handbags, otherwise she would have lost her personal belongings. It’s not the only place that marks you as a target.

“Putting anything in your back pocket is an invitation to a pickpocket,” says security expert Robert Siciliano, CEO of ProtectNowLLC.com. 

Unfortunately, tourists make themselves easy targets.

“The most common mistake travelers make is putting their wealth on display,” says Jeremy Murchland, president of the travel insurance company Seven Corners. “You have to play it low-key.”

Nothing to see here

So the easiest way to avoid an encounter with a pickpocket is to look like you have nothing of value. Wear something inconspicuous. Skip the cap and sneakers. Get a muted case for your phone that won’t attract attention. 

And, on a related note, look around before you take out your phone to check your messages or take a picture. (When I lived in São Paulo, locals warned me to keep my phone in my pocket in certain neighborhoods. Thieves on bikes will ride by tourists and try to swipe their phones.).

That means not wearing expensive watches, bracelets and rings.

“Only bring what you truly need on your trip,” advises Frank Harrison, the regional security director for the Americas at World Travel Protection. “Leave expensive jewelry and unnecessary electronics at home.”

It also means not dressing like a target. Americans stand out by wearing flashy clothes like college sweatshirts or logoed T-shirts and designer sneakers. That, combined with flocking to a popular tourist destination and talking loudly in English, can put a bulls-eye on your back.

“Don’t make yourself a target,” says John Rose, chief risk and security officer at ALTOUR. “It’s equally important not to make yourself a target. Flashy clothing, jewelry, handbags, or other accessories can draw the attention of individuals with bad intentions.” 

Proven strategies for keeping your valuables safer

That said, there are ways you can keep your valuables safe.

• A money belt. One of my favorites is the PortaPocket wearables, a travel-friendly system with interchangeable and modular pockets you can wear anywhere. PortaPocket adjusts to you, so you can wrap the belt around your arm, leg or waist. And the modular pockets mean you can add everything from a wallet to a phone case.

• Travel clothing. Travel attire brands like Clothing Arts allow you to store valuables like credit cards and phones in your pants pocket behind several layers of protective zippers and buttons. I’ve spoken with many travelers who say these inconspicuous travel clothes have saved them from disaster when they were on the road. And I can vouch for that: I’ve worn Clothing Arts pants for the last year and have never been pickpocketed. Not even on a Saturday morning fighting the crowds in Quito, Ecuador.

• An external solution. There are other ways of securing your belongings, such as the slash-proof handbag Glavish used. One example is the FlexSafe by a company called Aquavault. The inventor, Jonathan Kinas, came up with the idea after he had his valuables stolen while swimming at a resort. It’s a slash-resistant and water-resistant pouch that allows you to secure it with a three-digit combination lock. 

Oh, and one more thing: You have to actually use these methods if you want to stay safe. Guys, I’m talking to you. A recent survey by Global Rescue found that more than twice the percentage of men surveyed said they don’t use any method to protect their valuables compared to their female counterparts. One out of four male survey respondents (25 percent) don’t have a method to preserve their valuables, compared to less than 10 percent of women.

Harding Bush, associate director of security operations at Global Rescue, recommends one more trick: separate your valuables. 

“That way, if a thief nabs a shoulder bag or a pickpocket steals your wallet you still have access to some of your money, credit cards and duplicates of other important documents,” she says.

Here’s the reality of the security situation when you travel

Look, let’s be honest. Safety is often the last thing travelers think of — if they think of it at all. They thoughtlessly place their passports and wallets in their back pocket and then assume they will be there when they needed them. Sometimes, they’re not.

Of course, separating your valuables is a hassle because tracking which valuables are where is a bother. And who wants to change their entire wardrobe just for safety? 

If you’re one of those people, don’t tempt fate. Leave your valuables in a hotel safe or give them to the responsible adult in your party. Because the pickpockets are out there and they have their eye on you, whether you’re aware of it or not.  And having your valuables stolen is a much bigger hassle than taking a few steps to secure them.