I accidentally left my cell phone in a rental car. By the time I got to the rental car, it was not there. I only memorized one phone number - my husband’s cell. Now I travel with a list of phone numbers. Shout out to the Delta gate rep that allowed me to use her cell phone to call my cell phone company to declare my cell phone was lost and ship me a new one. Thank you for these tips!!!! Now subscribed.
Regarding the last tip, you can buy “USB data blockers” which are little USB adapters that simply have the data wires removed, and will only let power go to the device, making it physically impossible for a “juice-jacking” attack. I keep a USB-A version and a USB-C version in my travel pouch. Those public charging ports can be handy!
I thought I was pretty smart and I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have no idea where your little USB adapter would fit or why someone who stole your phone would use your little USB adapter.
Thanks for the tips! Decoy phone - haven’t used one. Decoy wallet - I have used this in areas of high pickpocket potential. Using an old or cheap wallet filled with a couple dollars and fake credit cards (like the paper ones that sometime come w credit card solicitations, nothing w my name or ID on them). Keep the real wallet in a cross body bag under my shirt or jacket.
Scammers are everywhere and it literally sucks that people are getting fooled. Safe travels everyone and of course, much obliged for the info Ms. Nora.
To answer your question at 6:02, I use a decoy phone when visiting London in the U.K. It's more a matter of convenience than theft-protection. I get a separate local number at Heathrow and use it if I need to call anyone with a landline. Meanwhile, my home phone battery is not being used up. I keep it in a wearable wallet around my neck. It's under my shirt, but accessible if I need it. I wear it that way even at home in Ottawa.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and information. I appreciate you so much. I have another quick tip. Please add a SIM PIN to your phone. Easy to do and will prevent your SIM card from being reused by bad characters. If your phone is stolen, the SIM can be easily removed, put into another phone and now bad actors can impersonate you because they have your phone number. A PIN is another added layer of protection. Sometimes the SIM is worth more than the actual phone to people with criminal intentions! Go to settings, cellular, SIM PIN. The default PIN is usually 1234 so change it to a secure one
Careful with the SIM Pin Code. They are unique to the carrier sim. If you enter the wrong pin too many times, it will lock the sim and make the phone unusable. You will then need to contact the carrier and get an unlocking PUK code. Research the SIM PIn Codes before attempting. And don't forget the new pin. You will need it to unlock the sim if you power off/on your phone.
My work cell phone has facial recognition with a pin back up. Our Security guy recommends turning off the facial recognition when going through airport security. He has heard of cases of the thief grabbing the phone, swiping and holding it up to your face and then running off with the unlocked phone. Thanks for all the tips, I think just being aware is the biggest advantage.
I love PacSafe, although I would like better padding on their CitySafe CX backpack. Mine are thin and worn out. I still use it everyday though. Great tips. Thx.
I got a medium sized package bag for a trip to Madrid and Spain. It had lots of pockets and zippers that could be fastened securely and you could not cut through the strap. After a couple of days I got tired of lugging such a heavy thing on my shoulder and bought a 25 euro bag for the rest of the trip. Of course I kept documents etc on my body under my blouse, and it was such a relief to get rid of the package weight.
I used to work in retail. I’d regularly see peep’s social security cards IN their wallet & I would strongly suggest to them to leave that at home (i’d lean in & whisper to them). “Why.” was in the inevitable dumb answer 🤦🏼♀️. I’m like if i saw it by accident, someone with bad intentions would see it, steal their wallet & they’d be a ID victim. They’d poo poo me. I tried to keep them safe…
Used to be a manager for the largest grocery chain, would nicely share that a woman should always wear her purse instead of leaving it in the cart, usually gaping open while they wander around produce or down the aisle, or even at the register while their back is turned unloading the cart . Gave up due to being repeatedly told ‘oh, no one steals here’ or ‘oh, honey, it’s too large’ or ‘in the way’ or acting defensive. Had to call police several times for victims, but still see it years later as a fellow shopper. At least I helped my mom change her habit! If you can’t shop wearing your purse, you’re carrying the WRONG purse.
I agree! I've had to counsel a few friends (and even family members) agains carrying their social insurance / social security cards everywhere they go. There is absolutely no reason to have it on you all the time!
Good video, with much that was new to me. Just finished packing for Venice, and taking two. I use my smartphone as my 'travel phone/tablet-replacement'. My dumb-phone is in reserve, and will stay in a hotel-safe. I use that for any financial stuff.
Such a sad world. I am going on 80 and to see what hoops the young have to go through today just blows my mind. Safe travels everyone. P.S. keep things as simple as you can. My humble advice.
Thank you for these tip and not referring to cell phones as Iphones. To many people do videos on cell phones and constantly refer to it as an Iphone. Not everyone wants an Iphone.
I have not used a fake phone...but I have used a old phone. I have swapped the sim to my old phone when I go to the beach just in case the water proof bag leaks. Also used my old phone when I was in a street party on New Years Eve in Mexico City. Yes the photos are 2017 quality but it allowed me to relax and enjoy the moment rather than worry about my phone.
For PIN numbers to remember I use a post code/zip code and sometimes I use two at once. I make a list of postcodes on a piece of paper that I can slip into the cover on the back of my phone and it’s different to what people expect. I really like pacsafe and will be buying a new bag before I travel again. I was in a place where I didn’t want to leave anything in where I was staying and wore my cross body pacsafe bag and carried everything important in it and I kept it locked and tucked under my arm. I do wish women’s coats had inside pockets as most men’s coat do. Oh well. 🤷♀️ Thank you. May you please take care and stay safe. Louisa. 👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️🤩🤩🤩
Nora, great suggestions. Personally I would not use a cell phone lanyard. Someone pulls on the phone and the wearer could go along for the ride (not ideal for older folks). The WiFox app is not available for Android.
Good point about the lanyard. That's why I would wear a jacket over top so the phone is still protected from falling to the ground if you drop it, but somebody is less likely to try and grab it since it's largely hidden. Odd about WiFox - though I believe they are doing a major update for Android, so perhaps it's offline for just a wee bit.
Best anti-theft strategy when it comes to bags and backpacks and their contents is to have a tattered old bag with valuables in a zipped internal pocket inside a zipped bag.
Great strategy! Nobody will suspect you have valuables in a tattered bag, and you have an extra layer of protection with the internal pocket just in case somebody sticks their hand in.
I realize she mentioned that her electric utility caused problems with 2FA out of the country. But I have heard that it is much more common to have problems outside your home country with sites requiring 2FA. I wondered if it had to do with geo-restrictions or geo-location recognition by the requesting site. Has anyone had difficulty with 2FA say, for your bank, outside their home country? For example, not being able to receive a text with an authentication code. Thanks
Not being able to receive authentication texts outside of your home country may also be related to the phone plan you have and whether you have roaming or WiFi calls/texts enabled. Here's a related episode I did about cell phone plans and connectivity: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hg3IokIgyYc.htmlsi=0AroJTnb6sYOdqcA
my primary phone becomes my decoy phone when ever i upgrade, there are also some good apps available that will lock and hide other apps on your phone which need a pass code to unlock like for added security
You can also make decoy wallet, i even have it filled with fake credit cards i bought online. Have a decoy phone. Yes, these work, just use you old phone blanked out.
2FA is not useful in this context. Generally, the second factor in one way or another *is* the phone - sometimes literally for methods that use a push notification to a device. Getting control of someone's phone is the most reliable way to bypass 2FA and get at the rest of their life. That's why using biometrics on your phone and ensuring it's always locked when not actively in use is so essential.
You can use a physical security key (such as a yubico key) as your 2FA instead of your phone number or email. And put the "key" in your money wallet under your clothes.
Hi…, further to your 2FA section one should also contact their phone carrier and ask for the phone unlock code (PUC) for the SIM CARD so you can set your own SIM card lock code. This way they can’t take your SIM card out of your stolen phone and use it in the thief’s phone and get all the 2FA codes sent to the thief’s phone.
Thanks! I don't have a video about eSIMs, but do have a very comprehensive article about it: www.theprofessionalhobo.com/finding-the-best-esim-for-international-travel-your-ultimate-guide/
I get the idea of the crossbody bag, but wearing one in public hints you're a tourist. Personally, I go with garments that have secure pockets....such as shorts/pants with a concealed pocket along the leg (cargo style but less bulky looking) that has a Velcro flap covering a zippered pocket. VPN app is a smart move too, I've been using Surf Shark for over a year along with a cloud backup. Haven't tried the burner phone idea, but I've researched cheap ones on Amazon. For worst case scenario, I use a slim pouch containing copies of passport, picture ID, flight and accommodation confirmation receipts along with some cash and its kept beneath the liner of my personal item bag (15L backpack). Its a real inconvenience to dig out but that's the point.
Weird. I’ve worn a crossbody for at least 30 years since I hate a shoulder bag bounding on my hip, and it’s been stylish for years in many countries. Backpacks on adults made you look like a tourist in the past but it’s the style everywhere now, like athleisure.
But, what happens if somebody can see you typing your master password!!! ... And suddenly that person have access to all your sensitive data???? or how is it secured?
I'm personally a big fan of NordVPN! Been a paying customer for years. Here's a referral link: go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=427&aff_id=31324&source=RU-vid
Samsung phones have Samsung Pass, you log in on any website with your finger or face. They also have a mode to avoid " juice-jacking" when charging. ;-)
I have extensively travelled in South America where robberies and mugging are common,the only way you can lessen the risk is carrying a mock phone ,no cards or cards with a low balance and a fake wallet with a few dollars,it also helps for express kidnappings.Do not ever talk on u r phone while walking,use physical maps if possible,use pods for directions,cross body bags are useless if someone is robbing u with a gun,better to have a fake pocket within u r pants or a soft wallet that can be tucked in u r undies.back up all your data and don’t store passwords on the phone.Decoy phones can be used when you take the public transport or if you walk a lot in public places.My idea use a Uber go to all instaworthy places in a day click u r pictures and lock away u r phone in a hotel
The second factor authentication is taken care of from my phone either email or text message. If somebody has my phone unlocked they can do the second factor authentication just fine. I think when you explained that -you didn’t think it through.
When I first started traveling for business, it was with a bag phone that had a sealed lead acid battery. It was about the size and shape of your elementary school lunch box, and weighed around 5 lbs. "Follow me roaming" didn't exist either, so you generally couldn't receive calls, only make them.
Nothing to do with phone security or may it does but what do you, Nora or your followers use for Sims in foreign countries, the local company sim or an app sim, which is better and safer
I wrote an article about eSIMs (which I use all the time) - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/finding-the-best-esim-for-international-travel-your-ultimate-guide/
Please please do a video on the nightmare of MFA when abroad. Some banks, credit cards and banks only allow text codes. No phone call, no email 😳. So when using a local esim it’s impossible to receive texts on our phone number.
Great point, Dominique! Though I have very rarely been totally stopped by the 2FA thing; usually if I call in and authenticate myself I'm able to get whatever I need through. You can circumvent this issue by having a number attached to your bank accounts that you can receive texts on while abroad. There are a few ways to do this. I discuss this more in my video about cell phone connectivity: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hg3IokIgyYc.htmlsi=0AroJTnb6sYOdqcA
@@NoraDunn Thanks Nora, I did switch to Fongo after watching that video a while back. Sadly, Tangerine only sends texts that are not compatible with Fongo, there’s no option to get a call or email🤷♀️
@@NoraDunn Thanks Nora I don’t know how you did it. After four calls to Tangerine, talking to 7 individuals in three different departments they all said that they can’t do it. I gave up.
One of my friends uses a strategy with passwords that she says works for her. This is for those websites that she only logs into very infrequently. Let's say once or twice a year. What she does is set a password that is so long and so complicated that she herself cannot recall it. When she needs to log into that site, she just clicks the link for "I have forgotten my password", and then sets a new password that is equally complicated. Has anyone else tried this?
Hmm....what kind of planning are you looking for? TripIt is great for organizing the plans you make, but it doesn't help with idea generation. For road trips, Francine's suggestion of RoadTrippers is great.
@@MentalThingsIsScary Thanks for the suggestion! I've not heard of Wanderlog before. I have an episode coming out very soon about travel planning apps - too bad I didn't include it.
Phones can be snatched out of your hand when you’re moving as well. My next door neighbor had her phone snatched out of her hand, while traveling as a passenger in a car at 30 mph, by a thief on a motorcycle, in the Dominican Republic.
So this is a little creepy. I just finished reading your book, Tales of Trains, last night. I open RU-vid this morning, and this is the first video I see. I do subscribe to your channel, but haven't watched one of your videos in a few months. I haven't made any posts mentioning you or the book. So, there have been no breadcrumbs for RU-vid to follow. I had my phone in my bedroom last night. Normally, it's in the kitchen charging overnight. This gives me a creepy feeling, like somehow AI or some other nefarious system could see the book I was reading in bed. Sounds super paranoid, I know, but these days just about anything seems possible!
Great tips. Many of which I didn't know. Thanks. Bragging. Lanyards: I was first! But it's such an obvious idea. The only amazing thing is not that I did it, but why everyone else wasn't already using them. When I got my first iPhone in late 2015, because I kayak, I got the waterproof Life case. Then it was obvious - Lanyard. Cross body. In 2016 I went through the biggest electronics store in Japan, huge smartphone case department -- not one lanyard (except on the waterproof baggies). My lanyards are still DIY, hot glued 6mm webbing to the protective case. Mini caribiners. I also have a loop on the strap right next to my clavicle that I can quickly clip my iPhone to to make it a body cam. Almost every one of my students found a quiet moment, so I wouldn't be embarrassed, to let me know just how stupid it looked. I'd either say, "Hey, a third of you guys' phones have cracked screens, I've climbed mountains with this." or "Do you have an $800 necklace? I do." And you always want a lanyard that if it gets snagged by a vehicle will break before you are dragged and injured. Great tip about keeping it under a jacket. When I was in the UK in 2018 my TMobile International plan worked for about three minutes a day and then it was useless. I finally shopped a couple of cell stores; bought a 'burner' with about a month's worth of data for £50. Maps worked. I just used two phones for the rest of the trip. In Asia the TMobile plan worked well. Last year I had an IOS Settings problem in Japan that really screwed my iPhone up. Maps didn't work until I got online and figured it out. It had worked fine in Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. Check before you go. Find My is great. I also used 6 Apple AirTags while traveling (I had three bags, camera, binoculars, AirPods) At home I only use them on keys, my binocs. Before buying ask your friends. Maybe they have some they aren't using at the moment. They only connect through iPhones, but everywhere I went including Vietnam, there were enough iPhones around to send back their location. Don't worry about this: A man with one watch knows what time it is, a man, or woman, with three AirTags in their checked bags will always think one was left back in Los Angeles._ 18 hours of 'Did someone steal my expensive binoculars?' Charging blocks. If you use Anker. They slide right out of those pouches. Put a rubber band on it and carry a few spare rubber bands.
I use a six digit pin to get into the phone, but I also have eye/iris ID and two or more fingerprints. Good luck to anyone who swipes mine. It'll look purdy, but not much else good to that person.
Yes I'm Canadian! But I'm not an expert on Canadian phone plans; I use Fongo which is an app - been using it since 2016 and I've enjoyed FREE phone calls to/from/within Canada from around the world! I only pay for a data eSIM card; my total cell phone expenses around the world are less than $200/year.
Good advice but you left out the critical information of the phone OS companies spying on you and selling your information. Also if you actually want to be secure only an Android phone with Graphene OS installed will be secure. Otherwise buy a secondhand phone and keep your sim card in it. Do not keep your sim card in your main phone. Use the hotspot function if you need internet on main phone. Also pay and use privacy email like Proton mail ,Signal etc. Carry an encryptable thumb drive to backup data,photos etc. Be aware that using the fingerprint function while in the USA means you have NO protection under the constitution from the police searching your phone.
Maybe not so much for a woman! I thought Thailand was completely safe until I was followed out of a tourist attraction, located in a quiet area, and a local Thai man repeatedly touched himself and followed me. Lucky I was near a busy road. And I was dressed quite conservatively, just exposing my legs below the knees.
We always set our phones to screen lock in 30 seconds, carry two phones, one being a cheap phone , never,never put on table when your eating. Always in your hand or secured. We always use find my phone feature on ICloud , always use fingerprint or facial.
Apparently they build multiple layers of security in so that they can't be hacked. As in, if you hack the mainframe you don't have access to customer data.
Why are your rights unclear when in a foreign airport? Like the right to NOT be SA'd? Sounds like some internal misogyny there...or gaslighting...unreal.
I assume you saw the Global News story and are commenting on that. Your rights aren't unclear. But the situation can be. Picture this: the unethical security offer is insisting you take your top off. You're overwhelmed, jetlagged, intimidated, and about to miss your flight if they continue to delay you. You can't convince them of your rights to give you a private screening room with a female officer. What do you do? This woman decided the path of least resistance was to take her top off and endure the humiliating experience. Then she took it to international news to expose this airport which is renowned for similar atrocious acts.
That's okay, but in some countries where there is a severe economic disparity, that can be a security risk - that's all I'm saying. Hopefully you're not going to a place like that.
USE THE DECOY PURSE WALLET PHONE! I can put my real phone if my bra if I feel like it. I have a four ounce windbreaker that packs anywhere and almost can’t be too warm. Sounds like I need to carry it over my lanyard/phone and crossbody bag. I live in Detroit, Michigan suburbs where there is a lot of theft. You shouldn’t even leave your car outside at night. I carry my phone and wallet on my person and a fake purse with my fake wallet and old cell phone from which I deleted everything personal. If I’m mugged, they get the bag and the crap in it. I found a key fob hiking in the mountains and used it, but it was weathered. My last car was totaled and I put in my Lexus key fob. “Here’s my car, too.” If you try to rob me, I think I’ll knock you over and steal your phone and wallet. And kick you, too.
