RISKVUE ARCHIVE | FEATURE STORIES

Security Awareness For The International Traveler

By Andrew Podolak

The international American business traveler faces significant security threats, including (1) physical risks, such as kidnapping and terrorist acts; (2) physical and property risks, such as robbery, burglary, and car-jacking; and (3) property crimes involving sophisticated scams to separate travelers from their cash and other valuable assets. Americans have increasingly become more at risk based on politically motivated anti-American sentiment and perceptions regarding American affluency.

Planning And Preparation

Reducing risk starts before you leave home through planning, preparation, and research, which includes gathering information on the countries you are scheduled to visit. Important topics may include customs, holidays, politics, climate, and money. Have the contact information for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate with you at all times, as well as local law enforcement contact information for each destination. Many of these can easily be researched on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov/travel.

Research and be certain that you understand the document requirements for traveling to each destination, and make sure your passport has at least six months before it expires. Also, be sure to make copies of your passport and other valuable documents such as credit cards and travelers checks, and keep them in separate pieces of luggage along with extra passport photos to expedite the recovery process should your passport be lost or stolen. If visas are necessary in your travel, make sure you apply for them at least two weeks prior to departure.

Know the entry restrictions of the destination countries. For example, some countries do not allow you to bring laptop computers into the country, while some allow you to bring them into the country but do not allow you to take them back out. Prescription drugs are another major problem. If you are required to take prescription drugs, have a doctor write you a prescription to take with you, as well as a letter describing your condition and need for the drugs. In some foreign countries, over-the-counter drugs exceed the dosages in the United States and are illegal here. Do not attempt to bring over-the-counter drugs back into the U.S.

Develop an understanding of the available medical facilities, policies, procedures, and means of payment, as most countries’ medical systems work much differently than in the U.S. and do not accept American medical insurance. Be aware of the medical problems in the country to be visited and obtain all suggested vaccinations.

Take an active part in making your flight arrangements. If possible, schedule only direct flights and stay away from high-risk airports such as Beirut and Kabul. Should you have to schedule a layover, be aware of what time you arrive and the amount of time between flights. Many foreign airports have poor security during very early morning hours.

Do not take or wear any clothing with corporate logos or other insignias that identifies you as an American. Do not take or wear expensive jewelry. A good rule of thumb concerning jewelry is to not take anything with you that you would not want to lose. Do not use luggage tags that are exposed so that your name and/or company name can be readily seen.

The Risks

Kidnapping And Other Terrorist Acts

Foreign terrorist organizations, including Hizballah, Abu Nidal Organization, Hamas, Al-Jihad, and the Sendero Luminoso (or “shining path”) represent serious threats to all international travelers, as they continue to rely on terrorist acts in the hope of effecting political change. During the five-year period from 1995 to 1999, there were 128 distinct attacks on civil aviation aircraft, and there is every reason to believe that civil aviation will continue to serve as an attractive target to politically motivated terrorist groups. The publicity surrounding such attacks is the primary vehicle through which many terrorist organizations disseminate their political rhetoric.

Despite our best efforts, kidnapping and terrorist acts, including airline hijackings, bombings, and sabotage, pose serious threats to traveler safety. Air Watch, a publication of the International Transport Workers Federation, documented 184 incidents of hijacking, attempted hijacking, air rage, sabotage, and other attacks in 2000. The vast majority of these incidents occurred outside the United States. In addition, more than a dozen U.S. citizens were kidnapped in Columbia in 1999, twice as many as in 1998.

Air Rage

A related, and increasingly dangerous phenomenon threatening international (as well as domestic) air travel is the pattern of violent behavior now called “air rage.” Over the past few years, airline industry experts have noted an alarming increase in the number and frequency of violent assaults on airline crews and passengers. Statistics show a jump in reported unruly passengers from 66 in 1997 to over 500 in 1998. Aggressive and/or violent behavior on board an aircraft poses a serious safety risk to in-flight passengers because of the airplane’s isolation from outside assistance and lack of means of retreat.

Air rage incidents range from simple disturbances and verbal assaults to violent physical attacks on airline crews, including passengers attacking pilots in an attempt to force planes to crash. Results from such attacks include serious physical injury to crew members and passengers, forced emergency landings, serious delays in airports around the world, and emotional trauma for all involved.

Robbery, Burglary, And Car-Jacking

Theft of property represents the primary threat facing international travelers, and thieves increasingly rely on violent tactics, thereby increasing the risk to travelers’ physical safety as well. Thieves take advantage of victims in transition, largely unaware or unfamiliar with the surrounding elements. In certain parts of South and Central America, Africa, South Asia, and the Far East, lack of effective law enforcement, highly organized criminal syndicates, political unrest, and anti-American sentiment combine to create extremely hazardous environments. Theft generally falls into one of the patterns identified below.

Ground Transportation

Traveling to and from airports is a serious concern, even in large cities, and many airports suffer from pervasive “taxi crimes.” In Mexico, robbery and assaults on taxi passengers are frequent, with the passenger often subjected to beatings, shootings, and sexual assault. At the Benito Juarez Airport in Mexico City, for example, licensed and registered taxis bear the airport insignia. Patrons secure travel at prepaid booths where they are issued a receipt with the name of the driver and cab number. Unlicensed and unregulated taxis known as “free” taxis solicit unsuspecting travelers, and with long lines at the registered taxi booths, hurried travelers often will avail themselves of the numerous “free” taxi vendors clamoring for business. In many instances, those patrons are driven to remote or isolated locations before being assaulted, robbed of cash, jewelry, and other valuables, and then abandoned. There are even reported incidents of “taxi crimes” resulting in the rape or death of unsuspecting victims. In several cases, victims have reported that men in uniforms perpetrated the crime.

Another tactic is the “express kidnapping,” which occurs when a victim is held at gunpoint and driven from one ATM location to another and forced to remove cash until the victim reaches their credit card limit. The victim is then released in an isolated area. An average of one express kidnapping is reported daily. In another recently reported tactic, thieves stop taxis or lone drivers at night, force them to ingest large quantities of alcohol or narcotics, and then rob them of ATM and credit cards or other valuables.

In Columbia, Americans hailing taxis on the street are kidnapped by accomplices that force their way into the cab. These victims are driven around for a short period of time, stripped of their valuables, and then released outside of town. A variation of this tactic occurs frequently in Thailand, where cab drivers and their accomplices work in concert. Using this approach, an “occupied” taxi stops to pick up the victim. The first occupant is an accomplice who holds the victim at gunpoint or knifepoint while the driver relocates to a remote location where the assault and robbery occurs.

Other means of ground transportation, such as buses and trains, have their own unique concerns. In South America, buses are often targets of massive robberies in rural areas. Bands of thieves stop busses at gunpoint and systematically rob all bus patrons. Travelers using trains in India, Russia, the Ukraine, and other Slavic countries have reported that sleeping gas has been pumped into their sleeping cabins and that they were subsequently robbed of their possessions, including passports.

Business travelers renting cars in foreign countries often find themselves a victim of a car-jacking or a false-accident scheme. Criminals usually target the expensive cars typically preferred by executives. In the so-called “bump and run” scam, the victim’s car is bumped from the rear, usually late at night or in a low traffic area. As the victim exits the vehicle to check for damage, he/she is assaulted, robbed, and car-jacked.

A variation of this approach, known as the “smash and grab,” is seen in Tanzania and other African countries. In this situation, thieves ram the targeted vehicle, exit their own vehicle, take the incapacitated victim’s valuables, and flee the scene leaving the helpless victim behind.

Still other theft, accomplished by drugging unsuspecting victims, takes place in clubs, restaurants, and other social settings. Such crimes are prevalent in countries including Russia, the Ukraine, Mexico, Columbia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Thieves taint the targeted victim’s drinks with tranquilizers or dangerous narcotics, then follow or assist the inebriated person to an isolated location to rob or otherwise assault the victim.

Airport Theft

Not all theft involves physical attack. In some instances, thieves work in teams near airport security devices to steal expensive-looking bags, briefcases, and laptop computers. For example, in the “conveyor belt” scam, a security officer spotting a targeted item distracts the traveler at the x-ray machine or metal detector while an accomplice picks up the item and simply walks away. The security officer will then release the victim, who finds his personal belongings missing and receives little assistance from the offending yet unsuspected officer.

Another version of this scam involves the use of a “blocker” who ties up the security line while an accomplice on the other side picks up the targeted item and walks away. In this situation, security is typically unaware of the illegal transaction until the victim passes through the delayed line to find his bag missing. By that time the accomplice has vanished.

Whether theft occurs as a result of a simple security scam or a violent physical attack, its seemingly unchecked growth in many countries around the world threatens Americans engaged in international travel.

Confidence Scams And Credit Card Fraud

In many countries, sophisticated confidence scams rob American business interests of millions of dollars each year. Even experienced foreign transaction specialists are taken in by such scams due to the complexity of local laws and the willingness of legitimate entities to participate in elaborate if illicit schemes. In Nigeria, for example, scam operators stage meetings in borrowed offices of Nigerian government officials and transfer documents on official-looking letterhead, complete with official seals, in order to steal millions in a complex money-transfer scheme.

In another confidence scam, locals posing as state officials or even inquisitive residents befriend travelers. These operators obtain personal information and then contact the traveler’s family or company stating that the traveler has been arrested and will soon be incarcerated. The operator then offers to bribe the police and secure the traveler’s release in exchange for a percentage of the pay-off. This particular operation is usually timed to take place when the traveler is out of communication, lending credence to the operator’s story.

Credit card fraud occurs throughout the world. Reports indicate that in the Ukraine and Russia, for example, store clerks often double-swipe the cards, a profitable and low-risk approach. Double charges caught immediately are easily explained as a simple mistake. However, often the unsuspecting victim will not notice anything until the credit card statement is received weeks later when the victim is practically powerless. In another tactic, clerks swipe the credit card through a magnetic reader device that stores the number for later use. This method is difficult to detect when performed quickly by competent thieves. Stored numbers are later downloaded to a computer and sold to illegitimate companies in Malaysia and the Philippines, where the stolen numbers can then be placed on fraudulent cards and sold for a profit.

What If?

Kidnappings

What if the unthinkable happens—you are kidnapped! Be reassured that kidnappers today consider themselves businessmen. They are not interested in harming their victims, but they want to conduct a business transaction and be paid, at which time they will return the victim. Kidnappers have found that it is not profitable to harm the victim, and since money is what it is all about, methods have changed. That is not to say that you will not be roughed up and verbally abused. After all, these are not nice people. The following is a description of a typical kidnapping scenario and what might be expected during the different phases. Once you know what is happening, it is easier to tolerate the actions, and you are less apprehensive.

At the moment of capture, emotions are high—both yours and the assailants’. Your chances of escape are low because you will most likely be surprised and outnumbered. Your best chance for survival is not to resist. Follow the directions given to you. You will be placed in a vehicle, possibly with a gun to your head. You may be struck just to prove to you who is in control. You will receive verbal abuse and possibly death threats. Keep your head about you and do not resist. Remember, the key here is survival. Be wise, and do not try to resist.

You will be taken to a remote location, which has been pre-planned. Once the initial onslaught is over, you can expect reasonable treatment. The living conditions may not be the best, but they will be tolerable. The average number of days in captivity is 30, but often the duration is much shorter. Keep yourself physically and mentally alert by doing exercise and playing mental games. Time is a survival weapon, even though it seems like everything is taking longer than it should. Do not make threats or vow revenge when you are released. Remain passive, not necessarily submissive. Be cooperative, but do not necessarily refrain from being argumentative, hostile, or competitive.

While you are in captivity, your company and family will be working to have you released. Negotiations will be on going between the kidnappers and representatives of the company/family. Offers will be traded back and forth until an agreement is made.

Always remember that your family and company are working hard to get you released, so keep your morale up.

Physical And Property Crime

If you are a victim of a physical or property crime, immediately report the incident to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate and notify local law enforcement. If your company has local security personnel, contact them for assistance in reporting the crime to the local authorities. In addition, if you have lost credit cards during the incident, contact the appropriate vendors to immediately cancel the cards.

Summary

Theodore Roosevelt said, “I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of the heart and that is softness of the head.” Do not be one of those people that say, “It will never happen to me!” It does happen to people like you, whether it is a simple mugging or a kidnapping. Using common sense and following the few simple procedures we have outlined above will minimize your chances of being a victim. Always remember these four basic practical principles when traveling: Be alert, be unpredictable, be low key, and maintain good communications. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew G. Podolak is Director of Operations of United States Security Care in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. He is a highly skilled protection agent and investigator with extensive experience in complex domestic and foreign assignments.

riskVue | The webzine for risk management professionals
October 2002