As a traveler, what you need to know is there’s a huge passport black market.
$35, available on Jetset Times Shop.Since news broke that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 mysteriously vanished four days ago, it’s been reported that two passengers boarded with stolen passports, one passport was Austrian while the other was Italian. As a traveler, what you need to know is there’s a huge black market for passports. Depending on your race, your nationality, and how many countries you can travel to visa-free; these are all factors to the valuation of a passport. For example, a Canadian passport can sell up to more than USD $10,000.
Just last year, passengers were able to travel a billion times without having their travel documents verified. This means, it’s very easy to travel with a stolen passport. What you need to learn is how to protect your passport during your travels, so they’re not places in areas screaming: “steal me, please!” Here are 5 places you should never place your most important travel item:
1. In the back pocket of your jeans. Keep it in your backpack instead.
2. In your chest pocket, where it’s easier to snatch from than you think.
3. In the face of a police. Show a photocopy of your passport rather than the real copy, unless you’re actually in a police station. Or else, there are many corrupted and fake police officers in certain countries.
4. At car or bike rental companies. In this case, photocopies are safer.
5. In an open/unzipped bag without guard.
Another insider tip: Scan the first page of the passport (the one with your info and photo) then put it in your DropBox or Google Drive for better storage.
