07 Feb 2018

Are you really safe on your travels?

Nothing ruins a well-earned holiday than a mishap occurring, like having your travel documents or credit cards stolen and leaving you in the lurch whilst overseas. You may think you’re the careful sort, but are you really?

Take this quiz to find out what kind of traveller you are. For each question, pick the answer that best describes what you would normally do.

1. You automatically buy travel insurance for every overseas trip, right?

Of course. Always good to be covered in case something happens.

Depends on where I’m headed to. If it “looks” safe, I might forgo it.

Nah, I’m street-smart and my holiday budget is better spent on other things.

2. Where do you keep all your money when out and about?

Various places – locked in the hotel safe, some deep in my daily bag, while the daily allowance is in my wallet. My cards are split up too.

I bring my day’s allowance in my wallet, the rest in hotel.

I don’t trust safes, no matter how secure they look. All my money’s always with me wherever I go.

3. Can’t live without the internet? How do you get your social media fix while overseas?

Always with a pre-paid local SIM card in my own personal Wi-Fi router.

Tend to get a local SIM card and use local data, or Wi-Fi channels that look legit.

Any Wi-Fi that looks official is fair game. Who would want to steal my credentials anyway?

4. Where do you keep your passport when travelling?

In the hotel safe, and I bring printed copies with me.

Locked in the luggage in the hotel.

Tucked in my bag all the time. Some shops need it for duty-free claims and shopping is life.

5. How do you unlock your phone?

Only my face (or fingerprint) can unlock it.

Six-digits secure it.

Just swipe to unlock.

6. What do you do when there’s a strange pop-up when browsing a website you’ve used before?

Close it. Clear cache and end the connection.

It’s irritating. Close it.

Open pop-up ad if interested.

7. Your holiday moments deserve to be shared immediately right?

Nah, no rush. Better to enjoy the moment and keep an eye out for any dodgy characters.

Maybe… But I’d rather enjoy first, and post things at the end of day.

Oh, yesh! Post it. Right now, before I forget the moment!

8. How complex are your passwords?

Caps and dashes and underscores.

My pet’s name + my date of birth.

Name or date of birth.

9. After checking your email at the airport’s public computer terminal, what do you do?

Email can wait till I’m on a more secure network.

Log out, delete browsing history, then close the browser.

Close the browser window, and check for my belongings. Remember my free city maps!

10. What do you do with your card transaction receipts?

Keep it till after the trip, in case there’s any disputes.

I’ll keep till the end of day, but mostly it’s still thrown away.

I normally don’t keep receipts, they make my wallet unsightly.

additional tips

Here are some additional tips on how to protect yourself and your valuables, and not be an easy target of crime when overseas:

Be careful with your credit/debit card, and keep all transaction receipts for verification. Whenever possible, use EMV chip to charge as information is encrypted.
Do not store your credit card details and bank account details in your phone, especially any passwords and PINs.
Ensure that you are connected to a secured Wi-Fi before you access any digital banking service.
Avoid non-bank, generic ATMs at hotels/convenience stores. Remember to delete cookies and browsing history on public computers.
If in doubt of any pop-ups or websites, block them immediately.
Make a local police report immediately if your phone or wallet is stolen. Contact your bank to inform them to block your stolen cards.
Have remote control applications like ‘Find my iPhone’ or ‘Android Loss’ installed in your phone. In case you lose your phone, you can do a clean ‘wipe’ of your phone to prevent personal data leak.
Avoid going to places you are totally unfamiliar with alone.