AIBU to create a fake wallet in case of a mugging..

[gardenisblooming]

I'm going to be travelling around South America, and will be taking precautions to remain safe. I'm staying in hotels, not hostels, and will have guides with me a lot of the time. (Travelling with DP). However, I've heard there are still a lot of muggings, and some in broad daylight in full view of other people. Would it be a bad idea to take with a couple of expired credit cards / fake ones in a wallet, with a few dollar bills, and receipts that would look like a genuine wallet I could hand over in the event of it happening, and I can keep my passport and genuine cards in a hidden purse under my clothes? How do I even go about getting that sort of thing (eg if I use an expired genuine card, then they have my name). Am I being ridiculous? Amazon sell a decoy wallet for about £70 which seems a lot but indicates it is a thing?! Any suggestions or tips v welcome. Thank you!

I think this is a great idea. I think my credit card has the same number but then a different expiry date with each new card, so this may mean they have a valid card number and might be able to guess the new expiry date. I think you could work round this though they are not going to be looking too closely at the cards.

Another thing is that they will probably realise that you will have your passport on you at all times and would probably be well aware of money belts etc. A fake wallet would definitely fool pick pockets though and I would probably say hide money in a few different places.

Expired passport too if going to town on this idea?

Also take an old phone with you which you can hand over if necessary. I saw a video of a mugger getting on a bus and demanding people give him their phones. One woman hid her real phone down the side of the seat and pulled out an old one from her bag to give him. I thought it was very clever and now carry a old phone in my bag just in case.

I'd be worried this could make you more of a target ie make someone angry. Why not just carry less cash?

You are not being unreasonable. The average mugger will want to get your belongings as quickly as possible and get away. There will be no negotiation. He/she will not take time to examine what you are handing over. The fact that they are getting away with a wallet will feel like a victory to them. Don't worry about identity theft. When they realise that the cards are expired, they will be binned. Don't spend alot of money for the Amazon one. Get an old one from a charity shop and fill that. I got mugged in a market in Mexico City in front of a load of people. They got my loose notes, my camera, my sunglasses and my trainers but they missed the important stuff that I was carrying hidden. Scary at the time but I got it all back on the travel insurance. Just material stuff at the end of the day. Enjoy your time in Latin America. People there are wonderful.

Yes, we are both going to take an old phone too.

We won't carry much cash anyway, apart from the places where we will need it. I'm more thinking about the aggravation if our credit cards and phones are stolen, as we won't have laptops, and how do we then cancel everything and also protect against identity theft.

I'm thinking about the types of muggings where it is direct, ie they come and ask for your belongings (and apparently this happens on the streets in daylight). I'm very scared of that happening. (I have also heard of it happening in the UK too now which is concerning).

I don't think my old passport would work as the corner is cut?..

@gardenisblooming they might not notice if inside a bigger wallet

They left you barefoot?

That must have been a v scary experience.

Yes, I'm thinking they will want to take what I have and get away. The amazon one isn't just the wallet, but is fake credit cards with fake female or male names, therefore they don't even have your identity.

I have a front facing (not sure what it is called), sling bag, and will have one of those v close to body hidden bum bags too.

ah, I see what you mean, they see the spine of it and colour and just think great, let's get away quick now...?

One way is to use something like Revolut. You only put how much money you need on it for the day and you can only withdraw a certain amount. If it gets lost or stolen you just cancel it on the app and order another one anywhere else in the world. It takes a couple of days to be delivered. I would take a cheap smartphone, don't take your iPhone.

For some places I travel with a printout of all the international numbers to call for each card, the phone company and IMEI number, and any relevant serial numbers (like for a camera or laptop). Also embassy and English speaking hospital addresses and phone numbers. Don't keep this in checked luggage however!

Email yourself this document and photocopies of your passport. Add anything else like travel insurance policy number and phone numbers of a few people to call in an emergency if you don't have them memorised is good too.

The hotel will surely have a safe and I would leave your valuables there. Take an old phone and have a virtual credit card on there and a "spare" one hidden on your body. I don't even have a wallet, all my stuff is stashed in pockets so good luck trying to rob me "quickly".

Do the old wallet thing with a few notes, revolut card and couple of loyalty cards, also old phone, they won’t be checking, just grab and go. @BornLippy88 made great suggestions, I had never thought of the international numbers for credit cards before.

Take an old phone too

Thank you all for all these extra ideas and suggestions.

we can’t decide re camera vs our iphones. If we just use our iphone then yes we are at risk of losing everything. If we take a camera we can carry it separately to an old/dummy phone and real one at hotel.

also, if we email ourselves the useful numbers list, and our phone is stolen, so is that email?

we’ll be away 4 months so planning to remove all banking apps and shpppng eg Amazon etc from phone and only keep one email address current and logged in.

(obviously not wearing jewellery etc).

You'll be able to replace anything stolen unless you're in a rural area. I've travelled a lot and my manta is don't take anything you don't mind losing.

You can back up your iphone to the cloud. You won't use your holiday pictures if it is stolen. I am sure you can find an internet cafe where you can log into your email or, again have a spare phone in your hotel safe.

It was recommended strongly to me when I undertook security training for work recently.

I'd go for - an ordinary looking purse/wallet, in an obvious place (e.g. handbag, pocket). Including a pre-paid card with a set amount on it (e.g. about £200) - as sometimes they will force you to an ATM to take out as much money as you can. Plus about £50 in cash. If it is a mugging, they don't want you, and aren't intending to hurt you - so try to stay calm, and do everything they ask, hand over what it is they want.

Also avoid flashy items - expensive new phone, designer handbag etc. Try not to stand out too much.

EDIT: to add that I think an expired bank card could badly backfire if you are taken to an ATM, so perhaps worth looking into what type of crime is most common where you are travelling and if this might be a possbility.

@gardenisblooming I print out the numbers and carry it with me, the email is just for backup.

I also disable contactless and online purchases with the card I usually use at home, I'm not doing online shopping in Thailand or whatever. I put a bit at a time in monzo.

Personally I like having the banking apps, sometimes you need them in a pinch.

I'm curious. Did you attempt to resit?

R.e. phones just back it up

A fake wallet is a good plan, but also don’t let this fear that you are definitely going to be mugged take over your holiday. Try and enjoy it too!

I think expired cards are a bad idea. What if you're taken at knife point to a cash machine?

I think you'd be better with extra bank account(s) such as Monzo, where you have a small balance, so if the card is stolen, they won't get much, and if you're frog-marched to a cash machine, again, the amount you can withdraw will be small.

Keep your "proper" cards hidden elsewhere. Even better would be only to carry card(s) with small balances, and do daily "top ups" via online banking from your main account, for which you've not taken a card.

Other advice from my training was the hotel safes are not remotely safe - anyone working there can easily access them, or even someone who doesn't work there but who can access your room. You can also travel with a door wedge to stop access to your room while you are sleeping - just make sure it is not visible from outside the door, otherwise they can kick it in and out the way. Key chains etc on the door can easily be circumvented.

It is a fairly standard precaution, my relatives in the states carry a "muggers purse" at all times, every day, to hand over in case of mugging. I have one lying in my kitchen, in the hope a burglar would take it and run, and leave us alone if we are upstairs asleep (single mum)