How do you avoid theft of cell phones overseas

[WinniWoman]

So in the states I just walk around with my cell phone in my hand all the time. I keep it in a cell wallet, but when in Italy I will have all my money and credit cards in a money belt pouch tucked inside my pants. Cell phone will still be in the wallet by itself. I like wallets because the face of the phone is protected.

But I’m hearing this is not a good idea overseas just as carrying a purse isn’t.

Some have suggested a lanyard and / or wrist band. For us our cell phones are our cameras so we need to have them ready at all times while out and about.

We will be also carrying back packs for water bottles, rain gear, snacks, sweaters, incidentals, etc. But we don’t want to put our cell phones in those because not easily accessible and also could be pick pocketed.

I realize not to put them down on a table in restaurants and so forth.

Any suggestions welcome.

 

[davidvel]

Don't walk around with your cell phone in your hand all the time, especially on public transportation. If concerned get a good case with lanyard.

 

[Krteczech]

Since my first cell phone, I use small crossbody like this one. I have hade many over the years and I purchase them periodically in Italy on a market. Most are made in Italy by imported workers. I wear them on hikes, while traveling, in town sightseeing, on cruises, just everywhere. My phone, credit cards, drivers license, some cash and band aids fit nicely. It keeps my hands free, has easy access to everything and if don’t need it handy it goes to my backpack. We travel a lot.

 

[WinniWoman]

Since my first cell phone, I use small crossbody like this one. I have hade many over the years and I purchase them periodically in Italy on a market. Most are made in Italy by imported workers. I wear them on hikes, while traveling, in town sightseeing, on cruises, just everywhere. My phone, credit cards, drivers license, some cash and band aids fit nicely. It keeps my hands free, has easy access to everything and if don’t need it handy it goes to my backpack. We travel a lot.
View attachment 98150

I actually have something like that I got on Amazon, though a cheapy, but made for cell phones. I am probably going to take it, but you still have to remove the cell phone for photos so I thought keep the wrist band on the cell and then also maybe a lanyard around my neck for while taking the photos.

My husband said he’s wearing a lanyard with the cell phone in the empty wallet hanging from it.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just hold on to it.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I use a small cross body bag. Lululemon 1L for my last trip and it was perfect size for phone. Can also be worn as fanny pack

https://shop.lululemon.com/p/bags/Everywhere-Belt-Bag/_/prod8900747?color=45606&sz=ONESIZE

 

[JudyH]

I wear a travel vest with many zipped pockets inside and out. This is where I have my phone, a credit card, and a bit of cash. If really cold weather, I might use the inside pockets of my coat.
Last year I didn’t do this. I used a cross body black LuluLemon bag. Well, it was hot on the Gatwick Express train and I took the purse off to take the coat off and when I got off didn’t see the black purse on the blue seat.
I was very very lucky the conductor found it and I got it returned quickly.
I since got a bright pink LL bag but I prefer to stick to the Scott-Vest.

 

[Cornell]

I personally would wear a bag like this

 

[DaveNV]

Everybody has a cell phone there, and everybody uses one. Don’t lay yours down when you’re done with it. Put it away.

I found things were a lot safer than I was led to believe. Don’t take chances, or give a thief an easy opportunity.

Dave

 

[dioxide45]

Cross body bags are easy targets for slash and grab.

 

[WinniWoman]

I use a small cross body bag. Lululemon 1L for my last trip and it was perfect size for phone. Can also be worn as fanny pack

https://shop.lululemon.com/p/bags/Everywhere-Belt-Bag/_/prod8900747?color=45606&sz=ONESIZE

My husband has something like that from when he was a Boy Scout leader. A Fanny pack. But it’s bright red. I told him no! Lol!

 

[Passepartout]

Mine is either in a front pocket or my cross- body bag.

 

[regatta333]

Buy a Pacsafe bag. While it will not prevent someone from slashing the bottom of your bag, it will protect against having your strap cut.

 

[isisdave]

And maybe bring an inexpensive phone with reasonable camera, instead of a $1000 model, for risky places. Like Naples. Either move your SIM or download an eSIM, or buy a visitor's prepaid SIM for wherever you are. I had a Moto G that cost under $100 a few years back, but I don't care much about high-res photos.

 

[rapmarks]

Since my first cell phone, I use small crossbody like this one. I have hade many over the years and I purchase them periodically in Italy on a market. Most are made in Italy by imported workers. I wear them on hikes, while traveling, in town sightseeing, on cruises, just everywhere. My phone, credit cards, drivers license, some cash and band aids fit nicely. It keeps my hands free, has easy access to everything and if don’t need it handy it goes to my backpack. We travel a lot.
View attachment 98150

I have been wondering what to take on my cruise. Ihave one of those! Thanks, you solved my problem

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Go to Japan or Singapore

 

[WinniWoman]

And maybe bring an inexpensive phone with reasonable camera, instead of a $1000 model, for risky places. Like Naples. Either move your SIM or download an eSIM, or buy a visitor's prepaid SIM for wherever you are. I had a Moto G that cost under $100 a few years back, but I don't care much about high-res photos.

Oh our phones only cost $149 each. IPhones SE 3, which is the model between 13 and 14. We’d never spend $1000 on a phone! lol!

But losing our phones would be a nightmare. And that’s an understatement.

We do intend on getting Airalo esim cards.

 

[ScoopKona]

We do intend on getting Airalo esim cards.

Public wifi is so ubiquitous in Europe that I have never bothered with a Sim. Just switch to wifi and use facetime/messenger to contact people. Well, "person." My mother in law is the only person we ever contact. And that's because she constantly worries.

I also simply don't care about my phone because (like everything else), I don't travel with anything worth stealing. Where so I keep my phone? In a pocket, which has a zipper. Travel clothing is so much better than more stuff to carry around. One book bag filled with clothes which thieves don't want, and a neck pouch which thieves can't access.

Sorted.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Forgot to mention: I pack an old phone with same setup just in case my phone is stolen. Has links to contacts and password keeper so I can access cloud docs in an emergency. We have an extra line on our T-Mobile account for $10/mo which this phone links to. I have used this phone in the past as a wifi for my laptop when decent Wifi is not available. But with latest phone and tech, I've needed it much less for this purpose.

We have T-Mobile. Have never used a SIM because TMobile has free data and texting in Europe. Call using Wifi at hotels. Or even better, we use Skype on our phones which is pennies per call.

 

[moonstone]

I will wear a cross body bag or a pouch hanging from a lanyard under my coat or sweatshirt, but I would never wear a lanyard around my neck on the outside of my clothes. I had a scary moment years ago while working in a nursing home where the new administrator wanted us to wear photo IDs on a lanyard around our necks and visible to the residents and visitors. One day shortly after we got them a resident with some mental health issues grabbed my lanyard and yanked on it while sliding one hand up the lanyard to tighten it around my neck from behind me. He was tall and very strong and if it wasn't for a male co-worker hearing my yell, who knows what could have happened. Our lanyards had a break away catch but that was at the back and the resident had that in his hands so it didnt open, like it would have if he had grabbed it from the front. Our union told the administrator we needed to wear our IDs on a clip on our scrub tops like the hospital and many other workers do.

When we are travelling or even when in crowded situations I never walk around with my phone in my hand. It stays in my bag or zipped coat pocket until I stop and look at it. I can hear the ring or message notification and can pull out the phone to answer, but there is no reason I need to be looking at it while walking around, even for directions. Same if I use it to take a photo, I stop, get it out, take the photo, then put it it away. My cellphone lock screen has my email address on it so if I happen to loose it, and a good Samaritan finds it, they can contact me. It isnt an expensive phone and luckily I have never lost it.

~Diane

 

[jp10558]

I don't know about iPhones, but if you've got a cheap Android phone, first - make sure it needs at least a fingerprint or pattern to unlock. Then, make sure you are backing everything up the best you can. I use syncthing cause I like FLOSS and am paranoid and tech savvy, but google and apple both offer cloud backups, as do other companies. If your phone is constantly backed up, then you need less than a day to take a new phone, auth it and put back all the stuff from your backup / cloud.

Your phone is eventually going to die and might die unexpectedly, and might be stolen etc. So make sure to have a plan. Also, if you use AT&T in the US, many phones sold in Europe can work just fine here, just get a new SIM for it. My sister actually bought a Hawuei in Finland in 2016 and used it here for a couple years after.

 

[rickandcindy23]

We were in Italy for 11 total days before and after our cruise, and we only had two suspicious people approach us, one tried to give me a sad rose. I backed up because I know that scam.

I wore a cross-body bag, and I had no problem. We were in a crowd of seven, and I was pushing a stroller much of the time, even in Venice. Olivia likes her "carriage," she is 2. We had so many bags with diaper bags, our son took his backpack (ridiculous to take his laptop everywhere), and our daughter-in-law had her purse. We looked like tourists for sure.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

We were on the Spanish steps and my 16YO daughter fell for the rose scam. The guy was really persistent with my husband. He finally gave him a few Euros to get the scammer to go away. My daughter learned a valuable lesson.

 

["Roger"]

Pickpockets are a big concern in southern Europe. In my case, I always wear pants that have zippered front pockets. (Concierges have warned me never to put anything of value in my back pockets, even if they are zippered.) So, my cell phone would be in a zippered front pocket. Even then, if anyone in any crowds me, I make sure my hand brushes against anything of value.

In Italy once, in a popular tourist area, the person in front of me was bumped by a woman holding a baby. He was suspicious and immediately reached into his front pocket and caught the woman's hand reaching in.

What is sad is that I was told by a reliable local that if this young woman didn't come home with a reasonable amount of stolen goods she would be beaten by her parents. Tough world out there.

 

[Cornell]

Oh our phones only cost $149 each. IPhones SE 3, which is the model between 13 and 14. We’d never spend $1000 on a phone! lol!

But losing our phones would be a nightmare. And that’s an understatement.

We do intend on getting Airalo esim cards.

I’m curious why it would be an understatement.

If you have an iPhone everything important should be backed up to an iCloud account.