VIDEO: Watch Out For These 4 Passport Scams Con Artists Use To Steal Your ID

Passport theft is on the rise.

The Foreign Office has made a video to warn British travellers of four particular scams that con artists are using to steal passports from holidaymakers.

Watch below and take care next time you head out on holiday carrying your passport.

Last year more than 20,000 British passports were reported lost or stolen, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that many British nationals fell foul of thieves and pickpockets.

passport aware

To make people more aware of the risk to their passports and other valuables, the FCO teamed up with stealth crime expert and ‘Man of Steal’ James Freedman to create a series of short video clips to demonstrate the techniques used by thieves to pilfer passports, and to offer advice on how to avoid becoming a target.

passport-and-travel-docs

The FCO’s top tips for keeping your passport safe:

  • Be aware of your surroundings and be wary of strangers who take an unusual amount of interest in you
  • A damaged passport cannot be used for travel, so value it and keep it safe
  • Lock your passport in a safe if you have access to one, or if you are required to keep it with you, ensure its location is not visible
  • Make two photocopies of your passport – leave one with friends or family and take the second with you, or store an electronic copy securely; where permitted, use your photocopy as alternative ID, for example when going out at night
  • For certain countries your passport must be valid for 6 months after the date you travel – check the entry requirements before you go
  • Ensure you fill in the emergency details / next of kin page before you go

For more information, go to the Foreign Office.