This article describes how a traveller can avoid being a victim of crime. See Wikivoyage:Illegal activities policy for guidelines how to write about crimes that a traveller might commit. See authority trouble and diplomacy for how to handle being accused of crimes while abroad.

In most populated areas, visitors risk becoming the victim of crime.

Travellers pose a high risk for theft and other property crime, since criminals exploit their ignorance, confusion, and need to bring valuables.

Types of crime

• Pickpockets often target travellers.
• Common scams; scams and confidence tricks can be very elaborate. In some cases, they are legal by the letter of the law.
• Robbery can be a traumatic experience.
• Burglary and theft may take place at the hotel room, or wherever the traveller sleeps.
• Molestation might happen in bars, or in crowded places; see Urban rail#Molestation.
• Physical violence may be directed against LGBT travellers in some regions. Though most victims of street violence are young men, women are at higher risk for certain crimes, from purse snatching to sexual assault.
• Vandalism might damage vehicles or other property.

General precautions

Several bits of common sense may help you stay out of trouble:

Before

• Research into your destination, its general layout, and crime risks typical to the destinations.
• Get information about ethnic and racial conflicts at your destination. Ethnic tension, racism and cultural clashes in general can provoke brawls, vandalism or other crime. In high-tension areas (such as war zones) or places with recent ethnic violence, locals might view strangers with suspicion; visitors can become victims just for being perceived to belong to, or fraternize with, an "enemy" ethnic group.
• Some destinations are infamous for hate crimes against homosexuals, transgender people, or any person perceived to belong to a sexual minority. See also LGBT travel.
• Don't carry unnecessary amounts of cash or expensive items. If you travel to high-risk areas, leave expensive watches and jewelry back home, and only bring electronic equipment which you can afford to lose.
• If you have travelling companions, keep each other informed of your plans.

On site

• Follow headline news to get informed about general events at your destination.
• In high-risk areas, try not to expose yourself as a visitor. Lose the string of cameras around your neck, dress as the locals do, without typical "tourist" accessories, such as souvenir shirts, system cameras, maps or backpacks. Not only does this reduce crime risk; it also makes fraternization with locals easier.
• A car with foreign license plates, rental car logos, loads of baggage, or other signs that it is not driven by locals, might attract criminals.
• Alcohol and other drugs affect your judgment, and should be indulged in only among people you have good reason to trust.

Warning signs

• Some high-risk places are low-income countries, low-income neighbourhoods, touristed areas, transportation hubs (rail stations, airports, etc) and nightlife districts.
• Avoid anyone begging, particularly if they're using children to beg on their behalf.
• Being in any situation where you are among a group of strangers who all know one another but not you gives them a great deal of power over you.
• Be wary of attractive-looking strangers trying to raise your sexual emotions; including but not limited to strippers or prostitutes.
• Events such as festivals, sport or street entertainment are hotspots for pickpocketing and brawls.
• Nightfall; though city streets are usually well-lit at night, the absence of honest witnesses and security personnel increases the risk of crime. Office districts might get deserted as early as 5 PM.

Reaction

• You are not required to be polite or friendly to anyone who refuses to leave you alone when you request it.
• Nor are you required to answer getting-to-know-you questions from random people. These may just be friendly locals, but they might also be scammers looking for information useful to them.
• Use local language to shout out words such as "help!" or "thief!"

See also

• Alcoholic beverages make people more violent, and easier targets for criminals.
• Begging might be criminalized in itself, or organized in illegal manner
• Gambling might be illegal in itself; however, legal gambling venues might attract crime
• Knives
• Travel insurance
• War zone safety