While the vast majority of tourists to South and Central America find nothing but a warm welcome and rewarding experiences, there are some clear risks – especially in the big cities.
Most crime is relatively petty, involving pick-pocketing or bag-snatching. But in some locations there is a more serious threat, especially if a robbery does not go according to the perpetrators’ plan.
What is the official advice about Argentina?
The Foreign Office warns mainly about street crime.
“Keep a close eye on your personal possessions at all times. Thieves normally work in teams of two or more and tend to target small bags and pockets.
“The most common form of distraction theft reported in Buenos Aires is the ‘mustard scam’. Thieves have been known to rob tourists while an accomplice pretends to help remove ketchup or mustard that has been ‘accidentally’ sprayed on them.
“If you find yourself in this situation, politely but firmly refuse assistance and walk away.
“Thieves posing as hotel guests are known to snatch bags while tourists are checking into hotels or hostels.”
There are also occasional so-called “express kidnappings”, in which someone is abducted purely to empty their bank accounts in different ATMs.
These typically take place close to midnight, so that withdrawals can be made on two separate day.
Once the cash has been obtained by the villains, the victim is normally quickly released.
The US State Department warns: “Street crime in the larger cities is a constant problem for residents and visitors alike.”
“Visitors to popular tourist destinations should be alert to muggers, pickpockets, scam artists, and purse-snatchers.
“Criminals are often well dressed and hard to spot. They target individuals withdrawing cash from ATMs by following customers exiting banks.
What about violent criminals?
The FCO warns specifically of robberies in Buenos Aires involving physical violence and the use of weapons “in the streets immediately outside of the Caminito tourist area in La Boca”.
The official advice says: “Make sure to stay within the designated tourist area where there are high visibility police patrols.
“If being robbed, hand over your cash and valuables without resistance.”
The Canadian government adds: “In some cases, thieves on foot work with thieves on motorcycles, ‘motochorros,’ to snatch purses and backpacks.
1/50 15 December 2019
The Red Rebels, part of the Extinction Rebellion Australia demonstrator group, participate in a climate protest rally in Sydney. The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia’s government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike
AFP via Getty
2/50 14 December 2019
Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government’s Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far
AFP via Getty
3/50 13 December 2019
A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added
EPA
4/50 12 December 2019
A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The ceremony honours King Rama X after his complete accession to the throne
EPA
5/50 11 December 2019
A boy inspects his damaged home after after an attack near the Bagram Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, A powerful suicide bombing targeted an under-construction medical facility near the main American base north of the capital
AP
6/50 10 December 2019
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event “Unite behind the science” within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid
AFP via Getty
7/50 9 December 2019
White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. According to police, at least five people have died in the volcanic erruption
EPA/Michael Schade
8/50 8 December 2019
People gather amidst the ruins of a building, destroyed during reported Syrian regime and Russian air strikes the previous day in the town of Balyun. The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country’s last major opposition bastion
AFP via Getty
9/50 7December 2019
A French CGT unionist holds up the union’s flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week
AFP via Getty
10/50 6 December 2019
People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues
EPA
11/50 5 December 2019
Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women’s volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines
Reuters
12/50 4 December 2019
Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand
Getty
13/50 3 December 2019
Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women’s gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila
AFP via Getty
14/50 2 December 2019
A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai
AFP via Getty
15/50 1 December 2019
Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam’s Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final.
Reuters
16/50 30 November 2019
A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years.
AFP via Getty
17/50 29 November 2019
A child holds a placard during a ‘drop dead’ flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
18/50 28 November 2019
Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law ‘The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong’, provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement
EPA
19/50 27 November 2019
Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania
AP
20/50 26 November 2019
A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad
AFP via Getty
21/50 25 November 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops
KCNA via Reuters
22/50 24 November 2019
A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq
Reuters
23/50 23 November 2019
Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia
Getty
24/50 22 November 2019
Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
25/50 21 November 2019
A girl injured in last night’s attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera
AFP/Getty
26/50 20 November 2019
Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta
AP
27/50 19 November 2019
An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires
AAP Imagevia Reuters
28/50 18 November 2019
Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists
AFP via Getty
29/50 17 November 2019
Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq
AFP via Getty
30/50 16 November 2019
A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France
Reuters
31/50 15 November 2019
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum
AFP via Getty
32/50 14 November 2019
A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.
EPA
33/50 13 November 2019
An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians
AFP via Getty
34/50 12 November 2019
An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence
AFP/Getty
35/50 11 November 2019
A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat
SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C
36/50 10 November 2019
The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor
Kyodo News via AP
37/50 9 November 2019
People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall
AFP/Getty
38/50 8 November 2019
Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country
Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty
39/50 7 November 2019
Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital
Reuters
40/50 6 November 2019
Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India
Reuters
41/50 5 November 2019
Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access
AP
42/50 4 November 2019
Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter
AFP via Getty
43/50 3 November 2019
Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city
AFP via Getty
44/50 2 November 2019
People participate in the celebration of the ‘muerteadas de Jalapa del Valle’, as part of the Day of the Dead in Mexico
EPA
45/50 1 November 2019
Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula, California
AFP via Getty
46/50 31 October 2019
Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, over the Vestrahorn mountain in the east of Iceland
PA
47/50 30 October 2019
A model presents a creation at the show Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. The fashion event runs from 25 October to 2 November
EPA
48/50 29 October 2019
Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food
AFP via Getty
49/50 28 October 2019
Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AP
50/50 27 October 2019
South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16
Reuters
1/50 15 December 2019
The Red Rebels, part of the Extinction Rebellion Australia demonstrator group, participate in a climate protest rally in Sydney. The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia’s government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike
AFP via Getty
2/50 14 December 2019
Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government’s Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far
AFP via Getty
3/50 13 December 2019
A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added
EPA
4/50 12 December 2019
A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The ceremony honours King Rama X after his complete accession to the throne
EPA
5/50 11 December 2019
A boy inspects his damaged home after after an attack near the Bagram Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, A powerful suicide bombing targeted an under-construction medical facility near the main American base north of the capital
AP
6/50 10 December 2019
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event “Unite behind the science” within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid
AFP via Getty
7/50 9 December 2019
White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. According to police, at least five people have died in the volcanic erruption
EPA/Michael Schade
8/50 8 December 2019
People gather amidst the ruins of a building, destroyed during reported Syrian regime and Russian air strikes the previous day in the town of Balyun. The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country’s last major opposition bastion
AFP via Getty
9/50 7December 2019
A French CGT unionist holds up the union’s flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week
AFP via Getty
10/50 6 December 2019
People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues
EPA
11/50 5 December 2019
Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women’s volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines
Reuters
12/50 4 December 2019
Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand
Getty
13/50 3 December 2019
Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women’s gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila
AFP via Getty
14/50 2 December 2019
A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai
AFP via Getty
15/50 1 December 2019
Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam’s Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final.
Reuters
16/50 30 November 2019
A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years.
AFP via Getty
17/50 29 November 2019
A child holds a placard during a ‘drop dead’ flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
18/50 28 November 2019
Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law ‘The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong’, provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement
EPA
19/50 27 November 2019
Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania
AP
20/50 26 November 2019
A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad
AFP via Getty
21/50 25 November 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops
KCNA via Reuters
22/50 24 November 2019
A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq
Reuters
23/50 23 November 2019
Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia
Getty
24/50 22 November 2019
Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
25/50 21 November 2019
A girl injured in last night’s attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera
AFP/Getty
26/50 20 November 2019
Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta
AP
27/50 19 November 2019
An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires
AAP Imagevia Reuters
28/50 18 November 2019
Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists
AFP via Getty
29/50 17 November 2019
Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq
AFP via Getty
30/50 16 November 2019
A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France
Reuters
31/50 15 November 2019
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum
AFP via Getty
32/50 14 November 2019
A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.
EPA
33/50 13 November 2019
An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians
AFP via Getty
34/50 12 November 2019
An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence
AFP/Getty
35/50 11 November 2019
A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat
SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C
36/50 10 November 2019
The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor
Kyodo News via AP
37/50 9 November 2019
People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall
AFP/Getty
38/50 8 November 2019
Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country
Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty
39/50 7 November 2019
Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital
Reuters
40/50 6 November 2019
Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India
Reuters
41/50 5 November 2019
Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access
AP
42/50 4 November 2019
Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter
AFP via Getty
43/50 3 November 2019
Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city
AFP via Getty
44/50 2 November 2019
People participate in the celebration of the ‘muerteadas de Jalapa del Valle’, as part of the Day of the Dead in Mexico
EPA
45/50 1 November 2019
Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula, California
AFP via Getty
46/50 31 October 2019
Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, over the Vestrahorn mountain in the east of Iceland
PA
47/50 30 October 2019
A model presents a creation at the show Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. The fashion event runs from 25 October to 2 November
EPA
48/50 29 October 2019
Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food
AFP via Getty
49/50 28 October 2019
Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AP
50/50 27 October 2019
South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16
Reuters
“Criminals usually do not hesitate to use force if opposed. If robbed, hand over your cash and valuables without resistance.”
“In La Boca, always remain on Calle Caminito. Violent thefts often occur in neighbouring streets.”
The US State Department says: “Crime statistics reflect a decrease in the overall murder rate for Argentina, but a marked increase of violent crimes; specifically, 300 more crimes by ‘motorchorros’ in Argentina in 2018 than in 2017.
Is Argentina particularly dangerous?
Despite this appalling attack, Buenos Aires and the rest of Argentina remains relatively safe. The Foreign Office says that 111,000 British travellers visited the country in 2018, and very few of them experienced problems.
Where else in Latin America is dangerous?
Capital cities and huge conurbations such as Sao Paulo and Rio in Brazil are particularly prone to a large number of robbers. Travellers are particularly vulnerable in places with large numbers of tourists, such as Cuzco in Peru, Cancun and the “Riviera Maya” in Mexico, and resorts in some of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands.
What can I do to reduce the risk?
Western visitors may inadvertently be putting themselves at risk with their appearance or possessions.
Dress down – and be aware that robbers may identify targets as they leave the airport and bide their time to stage an attack in less public surroundings.
Avoid wearing flashy watches or jewellery or showing signs of affluence such as expensive cameras or smartphones. It may be worth buying a cheap mobile and a local SIM card to reduce the chance of being targetted.
Do not carry around shoulder bags that can be easily swiped. Leave valuables in your hotel, and carry what you take with you in a money belt beneath your clothes or a pocket that can be buttoned or zipped shut.
