What to do When You’re Robbed While Traveling
As you know, I recently spent a pretty epic weekend in New Orleans. Salsa, oysters, grenades, pools, and more filled up this amazing weekend getaway. My dear friend and I were able to make a long list of memories that evoke big smiles and laughs…as well as a few very frustrating ones. During our second night in town, we were robbed. Around midnight on Saturday, someone distracted us at a bar while a partner reached into our purses and stole our iPhone 8s, wallets, and passports. We woke up Sunday morning in a daze with no cell phone, alerts in our email about accounts being drained and a creeping sense of violation. Fortunately, we were not physically harmed. We did have to go through several uncomfortable and confusing road blocks to get back up and running, on a plane and onto living normally again.
After I returned home, I shared the story with a few friends. One aptly said: “Megan, I think you should go through all of these things in life so you can teach others.” I’m sharing the step-by-step checklist to follow once you’ve been robbed while traveling. It is important to me to share my experiences because, as always, I want my you to feel empowered as you enjoy life to its fullest potential. You should be unafraid to be adventurous, curious and fabulous.
Here it goes:
File a police report
This is something we did not do. It would have come in handy as I attempted to get on an airplane with no identification, file bank fraud claims, and insurance claims for my phone. File a police report immediately. If you’re out in a city, there are cops on the street, and you can file a police with an officer report in-person. If not, make your way to a phone right away. Ask your friends with you to use their cell phones, use your hotel’s phone or go to the nearest open business and ask to use their phone. Dial 911. Make it happen.
Get to a computer immediately
I didn’t do this quickly enough. I went to bed thinking the person wouldn’t get into my accounts overnight. That was naive. They were professionals. They wiggled their way into every funnel of money right away.
Change all of your email and online account passwords as fast as you can. I didn’t have a passcode on my cell phone, so they were able to get into my Venmo and PayPal accounts. Both of the apps needed passwords. They simply had to request a new password in the apps and a link was sent to my email, which was available on my phone. Voila, they were easily pouring money out of two of my bank accounts.
The second thing you want to do is log into your online phone account and turn off service to your phone. That will limit their capability. If you’re certain you aren’t getting your phone back, report it stolen and erase it completely. If you have an iPhone, log into iCloud.com and erase your account using the Find My iPhone app. If you have an android, log into your Google account and report your phone lost or stolen. This is scary to do, especially if you aren’t sure if you’ve backed up your phone. The less access you can give the thief, the better.
Call your bank, and also go in-person
You need to get your cards shut off. Find your bank’s toll free number. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions to verify your identity and your bank accounts. It helps to be in front of a computer when you’re talking with them so you can check your online accounts and answer security questions. The faster you do this, the easier it is to file fraudulent claims later. You need to go in to file these fraudulent claims in-person. Generally, you have to sign paper work to verify your statements. It’s also easier to talk through your challenges with someone in-person. Reading the fine-print in person is much easier than getting the run down over the phone. Trust me.
Prepare for the Airport
If you are traveling domestically, it’s not terribly difficult to make your way onto the plane. It’s helpful to have an open mind, be honest, and trust the process. Having a police report is the first helpful tool, which I did not have. I did have a photo of my Passport. I took the photo a while back and my friend was able to email it to me. I printed it in the hotel computer lab and brought it with me to the airport. This helped a bit, but they really didn’t look at it. The friend I was traveling with fortunately bought the plane tickets, so we were able to print my boarding pass with her credit card at the airport. Having my name on a piece of paper was a relief and the most important proof the airport professionals cared about. If we hadn’t had access to her card, I could have gone online and printed my boarding pass at the hotel or a local FedEx office.
When I checked my bags, I explained to the woman behind the desk what had happened. I didn’t give her all the details (…no one really cares about all the dramatic details). She directed me to go ahead and go through the security line. When I got to the front and let the TSA rep know what happened, they told me to stand aside, and promptly instructed my friend go through security without me. Eventually another TSA rep came by and I had to answer a series of strange questions in order to confirm my identity. I was also searched thoroughly. It was all a very respectful process. They made note of my light time and made sure I made it to my gate in time.
Report with the FTC
If you’ve had your passport, phone or wallet stolen, there’s a good chance your credit is at risk. They may have access to your social security number if they are smart enough. There are a few different companies who can help you place a freeze on your credit scoreL Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The FTC has a really good and simple website to explain it all. Each one may charge anywhere from $5 to $10. In addition to this, I’m also going to apply for a new social security number. I don’t want to live in fear of a shitty credit score if I can help it.
Reapply for a Driver’s License and Passport
Be sure to do this right away when you get home. You have to wait for your official ID to come in the mail and you’ll be surprised how inconvenient it is to not have a Driver’s License. It will definitely be a damper if you’re going on another trip soon, especially if it’s out of the country. Before applying for either your passport or license, collect your personal information including your birth certificate, evidence of your home address (like an electricity bill), and have a recent photo with you to confirm your identity. I started by requesting my license because it made getting my passport easier. Once you have your license, then apply for your passport.
For my Driver’s License, I walked right into DMV, told the information desk what I needed. They gave me a form to fill out and set me to take a new photo. You can also send in information online. I prefer in-person because then I know everything was done correctly. It cost $20.
For my U.S.. Passport, I downloaded the Lost Passport Form and the new Passport Application Form. I prepared them both, which required a few phone calls to my parents to get their social security numbers, place of birth, and other weird questions I don’t know off the top of my head. I made sure to have everything filled out before I headed to the Post Office. I also went to CVS to get my passport photo ready. They printed it right away. The total damage for the new Passport was a little under $200 because I rushed it to make sure I had it before my trip to Greece later this summer.
File Your Phone Insurance Claim
This was actually super easy. I have Verizon and was linked up with Asurion for phone insurance. I’ve been paying my monthly fee ever since I can remember. It finally came in handy. I had to pay a $200 deductible to get a new phone. It was delivered the day after I got home. The instructions were super easy to follow to set up my new phone at home. I also love just going into the Verizon store. I feel so much better being taken care of in person.
A Few Pre-Trip Precautions
As I head out on my next trip, here are a few things I’ll be sure to do differently.
- If you don’t have a passcode on your phone, make one.
- Only bring credit cards. They’re much easier to file fraudulent claims.
- Keep a back up ID in your suitcase. Don’t bring it out for any reason.
- Photograph your passport and ID and make sure a friend or family member has easy access to it.
- Back up your phone. If your phone does get stolen, you want to be sure you don’t lose contacts, photos, and more.
- Bring an old cell phone. If you have an older cell phone, bring it along, If your phone gets stolen, you can reactivate this one so you can at least communicate with the world.
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